Evolution One Half
by Shudder
Summary: Chapter 18. With the adults away, the kids can play! Mistakes and confrontations, dueling Queens and deadly games. Jean suffers withdrawl and Kasumi gets a surprising offer. Mistakes weave unexpected victories. And a girl sticks her tongue up her nose.
1. Chapter 1

Note: Slightly revised version of the rewrite. Basically just changed the ending. Will post a message at the beginning of Chapter Two to let any who missed the rewrite know, to help prevent confusion.

See authors notes at the bottom. Timelines are the same as mentioned in the original version of this story, that being between the episodes 'Turn of the Rogue' and 'Spykecam' for Evolution, and after Ranma learns the Moko Takabisha, but before Nodoka's first appearance.

* * *

Evolution ½ 

Chapter One- Rewrite.

* * *

"Mmm...this is nice." Ranma commented to himself as he laid back, propping his hands behind his head. Lifting one leg and crossing it over the other, he closed his eyes with a contented smile, the picture of relaxation.

The fact that he was flying through the air brought said picture into the slightly more surreal end of the spectrum.

Tempted to burst into a rendition of "I Believe I Can Fly", Ranma cracked an eye open and noticed his rapid ascension was now going in the reverse. Sighing in disappointment, he cracked his neck and got out of his relaxed position, preparing himself for landing. "Damn," he muttered to himself. "I was expectin' that flight to last longer. Either the tomboy's gettin' weaker, or this impact resistance training is really beginning to show some results."

It came to him shortly after Ryoga had learned the Breaking Point technique. While Ranma had speed, he greatly lacked in endurance and damage resistance, something he was going to need if Ryoga was indication. Normally, he would have set off on a training trip to do this, but quickly came to a realization that such a thing would fall in the realm of 'stupid idea.' With all the nutcases that chased and tried to kill him on a daily basis, he doubted he'd be able to get any real training in before they tracked him down and the inevitable happened.

So he came up with another plan. One of the prime tenets of the Saotome branch of Anything Goes was that every mundane activity could be turned into a form on training. The mealtime battles with his father were exercises in speed, control, and reaction. Walking the fence every day, while fun, also helped him keep up his balance. And getting hit by Akane for actual and/or perceived insults made for excellent endurance and impact resistance training.

He could easily dodge her mallet. The tomboy had strength, but no real speed to speak of. In the time it took her to swing that mallet, or whatever blunt object she happened to have on hand, Ranma could have easily countered with a dozen attacks, knocking her out before she even knew what hit her. And sometimes, he really wanted to.

Spreading his arms and leaning forward in a swan dive, Ranma grinned at the exhilarating feel of the air whipping past him. Twisting himself into a mid-air flip, followed by several other impressive displays of mid-air acrobatics, Ranma focused his ki into his legs, landing on his feet with his knees bent, holding the position for a moment before standing back up, arms spread. In his head, he could hear the cheers of the non-existent spectators.

"And the crowd goes wild! Perfect tens across the board!" He said with a grin. "Saotome is guaranteed to take the gold!"

"The Russian judge has altered his ruling," a dry voice to the side commented, "He feels that half-twist felt a little forced and awkward."

Ranma glanced over "Damn Russian judge. I swear he's out to get me." he flashed his standard smirk. "How's it goin', Jiro?"

The speaker was almost the definition of average. Average height, average build, short brown hair and brown eyes. The only distinguishing feature on the man was a small scar just above his left eye and the ever-present smirk on his face. In all the time Ranma had known Jiro Shinkasa, he didn't think he'd ever seen him without that smirk.

"About the same as ever." Jiro replied, "You're late."

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Took longer than usual to get Akane riled up." Ranma mock-sighed. "I must be losing my touch."

Jiro snorted. "You? Fail to insult someone? If you believe that, I'd like you to come with me and check out the latest ice sculptures in hell."

Ranma rolled his eyes and began walking, Jiro falling into step beside him. "Ryo-kun has started the class in warm-up exercises." The older man continued speaking. "He's rather upset at your tardiness, by the way, so expect a bit of a verbal dressing-down later and a possible dock in pay."

Ranma snorted. "Ryo needs to get that stick outta his ass. I'm what, not even five minutes late?"

Jiro nodded. "Three minutes and twenty-three seconds late. Which," he continued as the pair turned onto a side street, "as you know, is three minutes and twenty-two seconds later than Ryo-kun likes."

Ranma sighed. "Well, nothin' I can do about it." he said as they arrived a moderately-sized building. The Shinkasa Dojo was about twice the size of the Tendo's own, but had no where near the reputation. Not that the owners really cared. Famous dojos were more likely to be targeted by dojo destroyers and similar people with ill-intent. All the Shinkasa's wanted out of life was to teach. Fame meant little to them.

Stepping inside, Ranma saw Ryo Shinkasa leading about twenty-five kids, all between the ages of nine and fourteen, in various warm-up and stretching exercises. Ryo was Jiro's height, with a much larger build. Other than that, and Ryo's lack of a scar, the two were mirror images of each other. Identical twins, Ryo and Jiro Shinkasa, both twenty-three, were the oldest children of the owner of the dojo. The former was the current head instructor, while the latter, by his own admittance not much of a martial artist, handled the finances and operation of the dojo.

Watching the kids as they did their warm-ups, Ranma heard Jiro clear his throat behind him, attracting the attention of his brother. Upon seeing that they had arrived, Ryo instructed the kids to keep with what they were doing and walked over to the pair.

"You're late." Ryo said, a neutral expression on his face.

Ranma rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that Ryo. Had a bit of a harder tim-" Ryo cut him off.

"I don't care for excuses. I'll let it slide once, Saotome-san, but next time..." he trailed off, letting Ranma know there had better not be a next time. "You have a class to teach. The kids have all warmed-up and should be ready for you. Go get changed."

Ranma nodded and went into the back area where the faculty changing room was located. Quickly donning his gi, he returned to the class and took his place at the front.

Once the class was well-underway, Ranma stood back and observed the students as they practiced the new form he had shown them earlier, only stopping to correct them on an individual basis, but otherwise letting his mind wander a bit.

It had started around the same time Ranma had decided to start turning Akane's violent anger against him into training. One of the first few hits had launched him into the park he had landed earlier, much to the surprise of one Akira Shinkasa. The man had rushed to his side, frightened for the boy's safety, only to find Ranma essentially uninjured. Naturally, Ranma arrogantly proclaimed it would take more than a fall like that to hurt him, declaring that he was the best, etc etc. Akira had listened with bemusement, then offered Ranma a challenge. Ranma immediately accepted, asking Akira where and when. Akira merely smirked.

"I never said we were going to fight, boy." Akira had said. "I can tell your skill surpasses my own, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. Whoever taught you taught you well."

"Than what's the challenge?" Ranma had asked, confused. What kind of challenge would it be if they weren't going to fight?

If it was at all possible, Akira's smirk had merely grown wider. "You may be able to fight well, Ranma-san," he had said, "But how well can you teach?"

The challenge was simple. Every Saturday, after school let out, Ranma would teach the beginners class at the Shinkasa dojo. If, within two months time, his students were all able to move up a rank, he would be declared the 'victor', and Akira would fulfill, within reason, and request Ranma had. If he lost, Ranma would have to do the same for Akira.

And so it began. Ranma had discussed the challenge with his father, and to his surprise, Genma threw his backing behind it, even offering to do what he could to keep anyone from disrupting him during his classes. When Ranma had asked why, his father merely replied that if Ranma was going to take over to dojo one day, he'd have to know how to teach. And it was better he learn now rather than later.

Not that Ranma ever planned to take over the dojo, but that wasn't something the old man needed to know.

After engineering the cunning "have-Akane-hit-him-in-the-right-direction-at-the-right -time" plan, Ranma was surprised how easy it was. No one bothered him in the entire time he spent at the Shinkasa dojo. When he began teaching the class, Ranma came across another revelation.

He enjoyed teaching.

It had been a little rocky at first, since the only experience he had to draw upon was how his father had taught him, but after observing a few of Akira and Ryo's classes, as well as those taught by a few other dojos in the area, Ranma soon picked up on the proper way to teach. Since the kids weren't likely to become as dedicated as Ranma himself was to the Art, nor were they likely to get into as many fights as he did, there was no need for the harsh-but-effective methods his father had used to teach him. And he enjoyed teaching the kids. There was an unmistakable thrill in seeing the students execute a move flawlessly, and knowing he'd been the one who taught them how to do it. He soon forgot there was even a challenge in place, his mind focused on teaching the kids to properly defend themselves.

After two months had passed, Akira had come to Ranma and told him the challenge was over, and all of his students had passed. Which meant Ranma was the winner. As his prize, Ranma asked Akira to allow him to continue teaching, with pay, for as long as he was able to. Akira had laughed, not at all surprised by this, and happily agreed.

In those two months and the several more that had followed, Ranma had gotten to know the Shinkasa's. Ryo, while rather strict and humourless, was an excellent teacher in his own way. Like his father, he was no where near as skilled as Ranma himself, but Ranma had to admit they were both phenomenal instructors, outclassing in that regard as he outclassed them in terms of skill.

Jiro, while he practiced the Art, had little dedication to it, instead preferring to manage the dojo's finances and promotional aspects, which he excelled at. At first, Ranma had thought of Jiro as another Nabiki, but later changed his mind on that. For one thing, Jiro had other interests besides money, and for another, Jiro was much better at it than Nabiki. The man had an information network that exceeded Ranma's comprehension, and always seemed to know what was going on. What Jiro did with the information, Ranma had no idea.

Glancing at the time, Ranma called the class to stop, showing them the form they would be learning in the next class. Seeing the excited looks on their faces, Ranma smiled inwardly and dismissed them all. Heading into the back area, Ranma changed from the gi into his standard red silk Chinese shirt and black drawstring pants.

On his way out, he saw Jiro leaning against the wall, ever-present smirk on his face. "Good class today, Ranma-san."

Ranma nodded. "Thanks. They're a great group of kids." He replied as he walked past Jiro.

"I found her."

Ranma's eyes widened and he spun around, a look of shock on his face. "What? So soon?"

Jiro's smirk grew wider, "Yep. Took quite a bit of effort, and more capital that I thought it would, but my contacts managed to track her down. We weren't able to get an address or phone number or anything, but we were able to locate her general area." He pulled a folded slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Ranma.

Ranma took it with a shaky hand, clutching onto it tightly, as if afraid it would disappear unless he kept a strong grip on it. "Jiro..." Ranma gulped. "You have no idea how much this means ta me. I owe you, man, big time."

Jiro pushed himself off the wall and walked past Ranma, "And I intend to collect on that, Ranma-san. You can count on it."

Ranma barely heard him as he stared at the folded paper, trying to work up the courage to open it and see. Taking a deep breath, he opened it up.

In neat, tightly written English were the words. "Bayville, New York, USA."

* * *

Silence permeated the Tendo home. It was late, and the family and their guests had gone to bed.

In the guest room, Ranma cracked an eye open. Extending his sense, he determined that everyone was asleep. Silently as he could, he got up from his futon and crept over to his pants, pulling out the sheet of paper Jiro had given him earlier that day.

Two weeks ago, Ranma had one of his rare flashes of insight. Jiro had a staggeringly large information network. "Large enough to locate anyone or anything." He had once bragged. When he'd asked why, Jiro had only shrugged and replied "For the hell of it." The Shinkasa's were pretty well off, what the American's might consider 'old money', so there was no reason to need such extensive information. From what he was able to gather, Jiro did it purely for the fun of it. Ranma didn't quite understand, but figured 'to each their own' and left it at that. Everyone had to have a hobby, right?

Recalling that Jiro claimed to be able to locate anyone, Ranma had approached him, asking to locate his mother. He didn't know if she was even alive, and his father had never spoken of her during their training trip. But he had to know. Jiro had agreed, making the deal that if he did this, Ranma would owe him one favour, to be called in at any time, for any reason.

And today, he had found her. Ranma still didn't know if she was alive, but from the way Jiro spoke, his contacts obviously thought she was.

Dressing himself as quietly as possible, Ranma looked into the pack he had set aside earlier. Inside were all of his possessions, as well as the money he had made teaching at the Shinkasa dojo that Nabiki hadn't managed to con out of him. Closing the pack, Ranma left it and crept out of the room.

Locating a pad of paper and a pen, Ranma scrawled out several notes, leaving one on the Tendo's dining room table. Silently making his way back upstairs, Ranma left one in Akane's room and another in Nabiki's, along with a small stack of money. Finally, Ranma crept back into the guest room and left the last note, addressed to his father, on his futon.

Hefting his pack onto one shoulder, Ranma pushed open the window, stepping up onto the ledge.

"Boy."

Ranma jerked, turning around slowly. His father was sitting up, placing his glasses on his face and reading the note Ranma had left. Genma looked up at his son.

"So you found her, did you." His father said softly.

"Yeah." Ranma said, nodding, preparing himself for his father to attack him in an effort to keep him from leaving.

"And you're going to find her." Genma said. It was more a statement than an actual question. "Are you sure you want to?"

Ranma nodded. "I know I want to. I have to."

Genma sighed, pushing his glasses up higher. "I never told you this, son, but your mother had a few requirements before she allowed me to take you on our training journey. The main and most important one," he paused, took a breath, then continued, "was a contract which we both signed, stating you would become a man among men, or the both of us would commit Seppuku."

Ranma's eyes widened. "...what?" he asked.

"You heard me, boy." Genma replied gruffly. "I would raise you to be a man among men, in her definition, or the two of us would commit ritual suicide. And you have a curse that turns you into a girl."

Emotions warred on Ranma's face for several moments, before settling on determination. "I don't care, pop. I need ta find her."

"Boy, do you understand?" Genma asked, staring hard at his son, the moonlight making his eyeglasses appear a solid white. "If your mother doesn't deem you to be a man among men, you will be honor-bound to follow through with that contract, as will I!"

Ranma nodded. "I understand, pop, but I gotta do this." his voice was determined.

Genma sighed. "And there's nothing I can do to talk you out of this?"

Ranma shook his head. "Nothing you can say, pop, will make me change my mind."

"You still have an obligation to fulfill the engagement with the Tendos."

"I've told you before, pop, I ain't gonna marry that tomboy or her sisters." Ranma hissed. "You can't stop me on this matter, pop. Even if you beat me unconscious," he said with a mocking tone, "I'll still try again tomorrow night, and the next night, until I succeed. And I will succeed. Ranma Saotome doesn't lose."

Genma was silent for several tense minutes, then gave a terse nod. "You're risking both of our lives with this, boy. I want you to promise me one thing before you go."

"And what's that?"

"That you will not give up the Art no matter what, that you will do everything you can to make sure your mother doesn't fulfill that contract, and that you will return." Genma said, locking eyes with his son.

"That's three things, pop."

Genma shot his son a glare, growling. "Just promise me, boy, on your honour."

Ranma nodded, his tone serious. "I promise, on my honour."

Genma sighed. "Thank you, son. You might not understand right now, but it was important for me to you make that promise. Get going now. I promise I won't try and stop you, and I'll do what i can to keep the others from doing anything rash."

Normally, Ranma wouldn't trust any promise Genma made, but something in his father's tone made him believe he could trust this one. Turning away, Ranma leaped out the window, landing silently on the yard below, then over the wall and into the night.

* * *

Back in the Tendo's guest room, Genma sighed. "Dammit, Destiny...you were right after all." He chuckled humourlessly. "Then again...you always are, aren't you." Picking up the note Ranma had intended to leave for him, he concentrated for a moment, and light red glow surrounded the page as the words shifted and changed.

Standing up, Genma pulled out a handkerchief and invoked one his sealed techniques, vanishing from sight. Slowly he crept out of the room and made alterations to the other three notes his son had left.

Sighing again, as he returned to his room, dropping his invisibility technique, Genma laid back down, his eyes still open as he removed his glasses, rubbing his forehead. "Good luck, my son. If she's right about everything else, you're going to need it. Hopefully the hell I put you through on that trip won't have been in vain."

He closed his eyes, but sleep didn't come.

* * *

Ranma walked out of JFK International Airport, his pack slung over his shoulder, cracking his neck with an audible pop. He had made it to the airport just in time to buy the last ticket on the next flight to New York, at an outrageously expensive price that nearly depleted his funds. In hindsight, it might have been a better idea to wait for another flight and conserve money, but Ranma didn't want to wait any longer than he had to. Dropping his last note off with the Shinkasa's had taken up a fair amount of time, but he felt in necessary that he let them know he would be gone for some time.

A part of him wished he'd at least stayed to say good-bye to the Tendos in person, but he knew if he did they'd have either tried to make him stay, or tried to come along with him, in Soun's case likely as a plot to get him closer to Akane.

The notes he had left had stated his reasons, but not his destination. He'd thanked them for everything they had done for him while he was there. He knew they'd probably try to look for him, but if his father could be trusted (which was still doubtful, in Ranma's mind), then they'd have a much harder time at it. Along with the bribe he'd left Nabiki to get her to not help them look, he expected it would be a long while before they'd be able to find him. By then, he hoped to have found his mother and possibly be on his way back to Japan.

It had been a relatively peaceful, if very long, flight, a fact that scared the crap out of him. The flight attendant had tripped whilst pushing the drink cart, and somehow, he had not ended up splashed. What's more, he'd had been seated next to a very nice young woman, and had engaged in a pleasant conversation for most of the flight. She had seemed rather disappointed when he declined her invitation to join the Mile High Club. It was probably a great thing for frequent fliers, but he figured he wouldn't be flying enough to appreciate the benefits.

Looking out on the city, Ranma came to a sudden realization.

"Where the hell do I go now?"

Sighing outloud - and mentally kicking himself for jumping the gun and not taking the time to plan everything he should have - Ranma started walking north, figuring it was better to be on the move than standing like an idiot outside the airport.

* * *

Nabiki awoke the next morning with the feeling that something was off. As she desperately tried to hold onto sleep for as long as she could, her mind was working the background to try and figure out exactly what this feeling was. It took almost half an hour for her to realize what it was.

The sounds of fighting that had awoken her every morning for the past year were absent. Sitting up, she looked out the window, just to make sure her ears just weren't playing tricks on her.

Nope, no Ranma having unnecessarily loud sparring with his father. Most curious.

Perhaps they had decided to take the day off? That possibility was immediately discarded. Those two would never take a day off unless they were both dead and dismembered. And even then they'd probably try.

Pulling herself away from the window, Nabiki set her mind to work. She doubted Ranma was sick, as he seemed perfectly fine last night, and even then she doubted Genma would allow him to skip out on training.

Putting on her robe and gathering her things, Nabiki prepared to head to the furo, hoping that it was empty. It was at this moment she noticed a decent stack of yen on her desk, next to a note. Picking up the money first, she flipped through it, enjoying the sound of the bills fluttering together. Had to be at least 30,000 yen, give or take, from the sound of it.

Putting the money down, she picked up the note. After puzzling through the chicken-scratch handwriting, her eyes widened a fraction.

_-Nabiki_

_This money is a bribe. As you will son find out, I'm gone. I'm sorry I couldn't say good-bye in person, but it was necessary to do it this way._

_Why I have left is my own business, and I ask you to trust me on this. I know the others will try to find me, and will likely try and get you to help them. The bribe is, hopefully, to help convince you to 'mislead' them, at least for a little while. I'll send you more when I'm able._

_Please keep this note to yourself. In fact, destroy it. I've left another note for the whole family, and I'm sure you can act shocked when you hear what's on it._

_If all goes as it should, I'll be seeing you again. When, I have no idea._

_-Ranma_

Blinking as she set the note down, she looked over at the stack of bills, as if considering.

"A month, Saotome." She said to herself. "For 30,000, I'll mislead them for a month. After that, you're on your own."

Slipping the note into her shredder, and then removing the pieces, she made her way to the bathroom, flushing the remains of the note down the toilet. Satisfied, she headed into the furo, practicing her look of shock for when she 'found out' about Ranma's disappearance.

* * *

Akane woke up as she normally did. Unlike her sister, she had no 'feeling' that anything was off about the day. In fact, she had the feeling that it was going to be a good day today. Hopefully that perverted jerk of a fiancé wouldn't force her to hurt him too much.

Swinging herself out of her bed, and accidentally knocking P-chan to the floor, Akane hummed to herself as she dressed in her workout clothes, readying herself for her usual morning run. As she moved to open the door, her eyes caught on the note addressed to her on her desk. Picking it up and unfolding it, she began to translate the chicken-scratch she had come to recognize as Ranma's handwriting.

-_Akane_

_You're probably going to be very angry after reading this. No, scratch that. You're going to be very angry after reading this. Rest assured, when next we meet, you can pound on me all you like. I'll probably deserve it._

_I'm leaving for a while. I don't know how long, and I'm sorry to say I can't tell you where I'm going. If I did, you might try to follow me, and I can't let you do that. The reason I left like this was to keep anyone from following me._

_As much as we fight, I want you to know that I do care about you. Not in the way our parents want us to, but I consider you one of my best friends, and I wish we could have had our first meeting under more pleasant circumstances. Who knows, maybe that would have changed things for us..._

_In any case, I will see you again. Maybe we can have a new start, as friends. At the very least, you'll get to pound me for this._

_Please keep this note to yourself, don't even show it to P-chan. It might be best to destroy it so no one comes across it by accident or on purpose. But that's up to you._

_Be seein' ya, Tomboy._

_-Ranma_

Blinking in surprise, Akane let the note fall from her fingers. Her fingers clenched into a tight first. "Does that perverted jerk expect me to believe that?" She growled, opening the door and slamming it hard behind her.

Curious, P-chan walked over to the letter that had fallen to the floor. Reading it, his eyes filled with fury and he bweed in rage, racing out of the room.

* * *

"Yep." Ranma said to himself. "Definitely should have planned this better. Ranma, you idiot...had the foresight to snag your transcripts from the school, but did ya think to maybe find a map of the freakin' place you were going to? Nooo..." he trailed off into incomprehensible muttering.

He'd been walking for a little over an hour now, and still had no idea where exactly he should go. Fortunately, he was fluent in English, the one non-martial arts related subject his father had insisted he learn. And it was a good thing he did. In all his travels, he learned that you were not likely to find someone who spoke Japanese outside of Japan, but you would always find someone who spoke passable English. His reading skills weren't quite up to par, but as of yet they'd been enough to keep him from getting too lost.

Stopping at a street corner, Ranma sighed. 'Okay, Ranma, you have almost no money, no place to stay, you have almost no idea where you are or how to get to where you're going, you don't know anyone in this city, and worst of all, you have no food. Which of these problems would be easiest to solve first?'

Looking around, Ranma saw a man in a bluish-black uniform walking in his direction. Recognizing him after a moment as an American police officer, he walked up the man. "Excuse me," he asked in lightly accented English. "I was wondering if you could help me, officer."

The police officer, a tall, decently-built man with a kind face smiled. "I'll do what I can, son. What seems to be the problem."

Ranma chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I was wonderin' if ya could tell me how to get to Bayville. My plane just arrived a few hours ago, and I realized I don't got no idea which way I'm s'posed to go."

The officer chuckled lightly. "Not problem, son. I happen to live in Bayville myself, just moved there with the wife a few months ago. Lovely town. Anyway," he pointed in the direction Ranma had been heading. "you'll want to keep heading north along this street. Luckily, it heads straight into Bayville. It's a bit far, though, so you might consider springing for a cab or something."

Ranma bowed in thanks. "Thank s officer. No need for a cab, though, I could use the exercise walkin'." Ranma turned, giving the officer a friendly wave, and was given one in return.

"Good luck, son." The officer called to the boy, smiling to himself as he continued down the street. "What a nice kid."

Ducking into a nearby alley, Ranma jumped as high as he could, ricocheting off the wall to push himself higher, landing on the roof. Looking over the cityscape before him, Ranma took a moment to enjoy the view, perfectly highlighted by the setting sun to the west. Smiling, he broke out into a run, directing his ki into his legs as he ran, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.

* * *

Charles Xavier was a simple man. At least, he liked to think so. He had his likes, his dislikes, his hopes and dreams, just like anyone else. Granted, he lived in an opulent mansion with several teenagers, all of whom had fantastic abilities one usually only saw in comic books, and his dreams involved helping foster a peaceful co-existence between humans and mutants. Lets not forget that he is also one of the strongest telepaths in the world. But despite all of this, he was a simple man.

Xavier, like all of his faculty and students, was a mutant. One of those few gifted with being slightly further along the evolutionary ladder then then rest of humanity. Not that he considered himself better or special because of it. Like previously stated, he considered himself merely gifted, similar in how artists and athletes were gifted.

At the moment, he was engaged in one of his favourite past times. Losing himself in a good book. So lost he was, he almost didn't hear the loud buzz and soft computerized voice female voice that followed it.

**'DISCOVERY: MUTANT SIGNATURE' **

Raising an eyebrow, the telepathic professor set his book aside and wheeled himself over to the far wall, where the frame of a painting was blinking. As he approached, the wall slide up and open.

Inside was a large console and monitor. This was Cerebro, a highly advanced mutant detection and location system Xavier had designed years ago. The voice continued as Xavier made his way over.

**'EXTRAPOLATION: INCOMPLETE. IDENTITY: UNKNOWN. LOCATION: BAYVILLE, NEW YORK.' **The screen changed, showing a detailed map of the city from above, then focusing in on a specific area at the edge of town. '**AGE: 17. POWERS: UNKNOWN.'**

Wheeling inside the room, Xavier picked up the helmet that allowed him to connect his mind to Cerebro itself, using it to enhance his already formidable telepathic powers as he tried to hone in on the newly discovered mutant. To his surprise, nothing happened.

Reaching out with his mind, Xavier called out. _'Ororo, Logan, would you please join me at Cerebro?'_Turning his head to the display again, he cocked an eyebrow in curiosity. How could the identity be unknown? What's more, how could he not hone in on them?

"You called, Charles?"

Xavier turned his head and smiled. "Ah, Ororo, thank you. Cerebro has detected a newly awakened mutant right here in Bayville." Looking past her, he asked. "Is Logan in?"

Ororo Munroe, a tall, statuesque African woman with flowing white hair shook her head. "I do not believe so, Professor. I saw him leave about an hour ago, likely headed out to that bar he so enjoys." she smiled. "Likely to get away from all the children. You know how Logan is.

Xavier chuckled. "Well, I had hoped he would be able to help with this, but that's quite all right." gesturing to the display, he continued. "As you can see, the new mutant is fortunately at the edge of town. Unfortunately, it appears as if Cerebro is having trouble giving us any more than his age and his exact location."

Removing the helmet and setting it on the console, Xavier then reached into a compartment below the main console. Withdrawing from it a device that resembled a a hand held television mixed with a phaser from Star Trek, he handed the device to Ororo. "I had Forge develop this recently. It should act as a direct uplink to Cerebro, allowing you to track the new mutant."

Ororo accepted the device with a nod, idly examining it. Xavier turned his chair around and without missing a beat, Ororo took hold of the handles and pushed him along.

The professor smiled at her. "Thank you. Anyway, if you could, I would like you to make contact with this young mutant, and ask them if they'd be willing to have a meeting with me. It is likely they're very confused about what has happened to them, and at the very least, we can provide them with the information, even if they decide they do not wish to stay."

"Should I bring any of the students?" Ororo asked as they arrived at Xavier's room.

Xavier considered this for a moment, then nodded. "That would be prudent, on the off chance that they prove hostile or dangerous. But no uniforms. No need to surround them with any more oddities than they may have experienced already. Scott and Jean, I think would be best." He rolled himself into his room, "I'll contact the good doctor and ask him to prepare the infirmary, just in case."

Ororo nodded and headed off to find the two students she was to take with her.

* * *

Logan stepped out of the bar, a small smile on his face. Damn, he loved that place. Liquor, pool, and if he's lucky enough, a good 'ol fashioned barroom brawl. Although tonight had only provided the first two, it was enough to raise his spirits.

The students were getting to be a bit of a handful. He loved the kids, he honestly did, but it galled him how little they cared for his combat training. They didn't seem to realize that they couldn't always rely on their powers in a fight, or that sometimes you had to go hand-to-hand.

Even worse was knowing the potential several of them had. Kurt in particular, with his agility and teleportation, could be devastating at hand-to-hand! Rogue as well. Hell, the southern girl would benefit the most. She wouldn't always be capable of taking off her gloves to drain an opponent, and doing such a thing wasn't such a good idea anyway. Who knows how long before she drained too many memories and developed a personality disorder or something?

Logan snorted. "What they need is some proper motivation." he muttered to himself as he walked to his motorcycle. Despite the amount of alcohol he had drank, he wasn't feeling the slightest bit tipsy. It was one of the few disadvantages to having highly-enhanced regenerative abilities. His body broke down the alcohol almost as soon as he consumed it, meaning he had to drink twice as much in half the time , and even then it wouldn't last nearly as long.

As he passed by an alley, he was suddenly brought out of his thoughts by the metal clanging. Looking into the alley, he could see six figures, five of which were ganging up on the last, all five with various weapons in hand. He was about to intervene when he saw the grin on the sixth figure's face. He looked to be about sixteen, maybe seventeen, and was wearing what Logan thought to be a red Chinese tang and black drawstring pants. Asian, Japanese Logan believed, with black hair tied back into a long pigtail. He was slender, yet Logan could see some obvious muscle on the kid.

He raised an eyebrow as he saw one of the five, a section of pipe in his hand, lunge at the boy with a swing and the boy calmly dodged, grabbing the man by the wrist and throwing him against the far wall, delivering kick to his stomach as he did.

Leaning up against the wall, yet ready to jump in if it looked like the kid needed any help, Logan continued to observe. The kid was good. Damn good. He dodged effortlessly around his attackers, ducking and weaving, even bending himself almost completely backwards. To the Canadian mutants trained eye, he could see the kid had far more skill than he was showing. Every movement was precise and calculated, yet flowed naturally.

Damn. This kid was better than him!

Less than a minute later, all five guys were lying on the ground, unconscious. Logan observed as the boy looked down at the men, shrugged, and began going through their pockets. "Spoils of war?" Logan asked.

The kid looked up at him and flashed an arrogant grin. "Yep. These fucks figured if they knocked me out, they'd get my money. Seems fair that it should work th'other way around, eh?"

Logan raised an eyebrow. Despite how wrong it sounded, that made a great deal of sense. Logan shrugged. Kid wasn't hurting anyone who didn't deserve it. "Alright then," Logan replied. "Anyway, just wanted to tell ya good fight. You got some skill."

The boy smirked. "'course I do. I'm the best."

Logan snorted, heading out of the alley. "I'm sure. See ya around, kid." He'd been tempted to get the kid to help him with training the students, but figured Chuck might have a problem with bringing in a non-mutant. Maybe he could set something up where they met him off the Institute grounds. Something to sleep on, Logan decided. This was all assuming he ever saw the kid again.

Glancing back into the alley, the kid was gone. Logan snorted. Figures.

"Logan?"

Turning around Logan saw Ororo approaching, a strange device in her hand that was emitting a near-inaudible beep. Behind her were Scott and Jean. "What you three doin' out this late, 'ro? And what's the doohickey?"

"Cerebro detected a new mutant in the area, apparently one who's X-gene has just become active." Ororo explained. "Charles asked us to try and find him and extend and invitation to the mansion. This," she held up the device, "is something Forge apparently cooked up. It allows one to remain in contact with Cerebro or some kind of specialized network, and allows us to track the signal of a specific X-gene."

Logan blinked. "That was a simplified explanation, and I still have no idea what it all meant."

"Neither do we," Scott admitted. "But I do know that this flashy dot represents the new mutant, and following the flashy dot will bring us to him. Also, it's all we know how to do with the thing."

"I think if we keep looking, we could find Tetris on there." Jean joked.

"Which would make this piece of crap infinitely more useful." Ororo grumbled. "Okay, it's in this alley right here."

The quartet looked into the alley, three pairs of eyes widening it the sight of five unconscious men lying on the asphalt.

"Huh." Logan snorted, "I was just here. Watched a kid take down all five of these guys without breakin' a sweat."

Ororo sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "It says the new mutant in here, but there's no one here except five unconscious men who are far too old to be the one we're looking for." She three the device into her purse. "Piece of crap." she muttered.

Logan exchanged a glance with Scott. The former mouthed the words 'time of the month' to the younger boy. He received an elbow in the stomach for that.

* * *

On a nearby roof, Ranma was gingerly rubbing his shoulder. "That was weird for a buncha muggers." he muttered. One of the men had been a thin, scrawny guy, same build as Hikaru Gosunkugi. Yet when he hit, the guy had strength to rival Ryoga's. He'd taken several blows, thankful the guy had no where near Ryoga's level of skill to properly use that strength. After the first dozen hits, though, the man's strength seemed to vanish, surprising the man and providing Ranma the opportunity to sucker-punch him. Turns out the guy had a glass jaw, too.

Still, the abnormal strength, and the sudden disappearance of it, was a little odd. But instead of dwelling on it, Ranma came to the conclusion that it must be magic and proceeded to completely forget about the matter. Leaning back, using his pack as a backrest, he soon fell asleep.

* * *

End Chapter One

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, I re-read the original first chapter after reading some of the reviews, and come to the conclusion that people were right. It was chock-full of cliches. Originally, I was gonna leave it and make sure the rest of the story had as few cliches as possible, until I got this idea. After thinking it through, I realized it would work with my original plot line, albeit with a few minor but manageable changes. So, with a surge of nicotine-fueled writing, I managed to crank this rewrite out in half the time it took me to do the original. Go me!

Nabiki will still be joining the institute, but it won't be happening for a few chapters yet.

Yep, Genma's a mutant now, with, as you may have guessed, the power to change written text. It may not seem like much, but remember, the pen is mightier than the sword, and if you can change what the pen has scribed...

Ranma's powers, at the moment, will remain shrouded in mystery, but they're not too different than what they were before. More on that next chapter. Or maybe the chapter after that. It depends.

Anyway, as always, please review! And thank you to everyone who reviewed the original as well.


	2. Chapter 2

A heads up to anyone who may have missed it. I completely and utterly changed the first chapter. Seriously. You will want to read it before reading this one if you haven't already, else nothin's gonna be makin' much sense. As always, please review and tell me what works/doesn't work.

* * *

** Evolution 1/2**

Disclaimer: Hehehehe...I didn't disclaim ANYTHING last chapter, AND NOTHING HAPPENED! Muahahaha! As far as you all know, I own both X-Men: Evolution and Ranma 1/2!

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

When Ranma awoke the next morning, she wasn't surprised in the least that she was now female. Sleeping on an open roof, nothing at all to cover her, she may have well have painted herself up as a target for the Kami. 

Standing, the rummaged through her pack, pulling out a thermos. Dipping her finger in, and finding it had gone cold, she took a swig, swished it around in her mouth and spat.

Reaching into her pack again and pulling out a portable camp stove, she started boiling some water, She had a little rice left, and it would have to do. She had some money now, thanks to those kind men who had donated to the "Please Don't Hurt Me Anymore" fund. A worthy cause indeed.

Doing a set of push-ups as she waited for the water to heat up, Ranma contemplated her next move. She knew her mother was here, it was only a matter of finding her. Which would be easier said than done. She didn't know how many people resided in Bayville. Hell, come to think, she didn't even know what her mother looked like. Although pops had once said she looked the spitting image of her mother when she was her age. At least, she thought he said that. Genma had been drunk at the time, and Ranma hadn't really been paying attention.

Still, it was a possibility. Might prove fruitful to keep an eye out for a a redhead with a killer body and blue skin.

Wait...there was something off about that observation. Redhair? Always had that. Killer body? Ditto. Blue skin? Ah, that was it.

Ranma let out a high-pitched shriek as she ripped open her shirt, checking every inch of skin. It was blue. She was blue! What the fuck?!

A gripping fear came over her, and she darted to the camp stove, grabbing the pan and dumping the near-boiling water over her head, never even noticing the heat.

Her eyes widened. "No! Why didn't I change?!"

The moment the words left her mouth, she felt the familiar numbness spread throughout her body as it shifted back to her birth gender. Looking over his arms and chest, he breathed a deep sigh of relief, both for regaining his proper sex and for the act that his male form hadn't turned blue as well.

Lacking any of his usual grace, Ranma plopped down to the floor, breathing hard. What the hell was going on? First his female form had become a Smurf, and then the change had taken longer to go into effect. It had always been instantaneous in the past. And now, he was suddenly feeling a little tired after changing back? Changing forms had never taken anything out of him before. So why did he feel like he had just fired a Moko Takabisha with his reserves nearly empty?

Shifting into full lotus position, Ranma focused his mind. Something very strange was going on, and he had to figure out what it was. He didn't want to become stuck in his female form, especially with it looking like it did now. People would think he was a demon or something, and that was one thing he didn't want to have to deal with.

So Ranma did something a lot of people didn't think he was capable of. He sat down, and thought hard about it.

Ten minutes and one headache later, Ranma gave up on thinking hard. He knew there was a reason he didn't do that.

"Okay Ranma," he said, "let's approach this from another angle." He pulled out a pad of paper and a pen from his pack. "First, lets examine all the facts, see if there's any kinda connections. One; your female form is now blue. Two; ya didn't change back instantly with hot water. Three;" his eyes widened as something occurred to him, "ya didn't change back 'til you questioned WHY ya hadn't changed back." Ranma grinned. He had no idea what that meant, but it was something to consider. "And finally, four, you felt a drop in your ki after the change."

Ranma frowned, observing his notes. Reading and re-reading them, he tried to make connections and determine something.

* * *

Three hours later, Ranma was laying on his back, breathing heavily. A small trickle of blood was running from his nose. Despite all this, he had a massive grin on his face. 

He'd done it. He'd forced the change without any water. It had left him physically and mentally drained, and he could feel his ki reserves were near-depleted. But he had done it! He'd done it!

And he had no idea how!

"Jus' need t'do wha I did 'fore." he managed to gasp out, too delirious to wonder why he was speaking outloud. "Jus' gotta...prac'ice...become easy...easy as shit...you'll...seee..."

And with that, Ranma made a tactical retreat in the battle with consciousness. A tactical retreat, since Ranma Saotome doesn't lose, after all.

* * *

"...and then when we get there, all we find is five guys knocked out cold." Scott said, taking a bite of his sandwich. "And Forge's device just stopped tracking him." 

"That really blows," Katherine Pryde - Kitty to her friends – replied. She, Scott, Kurt and Evan were sitting at their usual table in the lunchroom. Jean was sitting with Duncan and the rest of the popular students - something that annoyed Scott to no end – and their newest teammate, Rogue, had yet to arrive.

"Tell me about it," Scott grumbled. "What makes it even odder is apparently Logan watched the fight."

"Logan was there the whole time?" Evan repeated incredulously. "Why didn't he step in and help the kid or something?"

"He said the kid handled all five of them easily." Scott said, shaking his head. If this mutant was that skilled in hand-to-hand, he could be of great asset to the team. But since they missed him last night, he was still out there, and could easily be targeted by the Brotherhood. "Didn't even break a sweat, apparently. Logan actually seemed impressed."

"Verdammt!" Kurt exclaimed, spraying little bits of partially-chewed chicken sandwich everywhere, causing Kitty to leap out of her seat to avoid being hit. Swallowing, he apologized. "Sorry about that, but praise from Logan...wow."

Evan, who hadn't had Kitty's instinct to move picked a piece of chicken off his nose and flicked it away. "Alright, new rule. Nobody tells Kurt anything remotely surprising while he's eating."

Scott shook his head in bemusement. "Anyway, the Professor is mildly concerned about all this," he continued. "we keep getting the kid's location, and we know he's 17. Everything else, though, just registers as 'Unknown'."

Evan blinked, looking up from his food. "I didn't think that was possible. Can't it pick up a full profile of anyone on the planet?"

Scott shrugged. "That's what the Professor says." he replied, "I don't pretend to know how it works, though."

"Maybe like, his power allows him to hide from it or something?" Kitty suggested.

"Maybe," Scott said, making a quick check to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "In the meantime, there isn't much we can really do but keep an eye out for him." Logan had given them a description of the boy he'd seen, although in the darkness of the alley it was a little hard to make out any real details. Still, the lack of a profile unnerved him, especially since the Professor had told him the only way for Cerebro to come up with so many unknowns...was if the person had no official record of their birth. Which meant someone was going to a great deal of trouble to hide the kid.

* * *

_**- The Previous Night, Tokyo, before Cerebro's detection -**_

Genma wiped a trickle of sweat off his brow. Looking around, he dropped the cloak of the Umi-sen-ken once he'd determined the coast was clear. "Well," he muttered to himself, looking up at the window he had used to break in and out of the building, "that should slow Lensherr down." Slow him down, yes, but Genma didn't delude himself into thinking it would stop Magneto for very long.

Altering the family registry, both paper and computerized copies, wouldn't do much more than annoy and delay Magneto, and Genma knew it. But he had to do what he could. Erik would be coming for Ranma, as soon as his X-gene became active, something Genma was certain was going to happen any day now. Destiny had predicted that the boy would be a great asset to the master of magnetism, which meant Magneto would try everything he could to find and control the boy. Unfortunately, removing the official records of Ranma's birth would keep Xavier's fancy computer from getting any information on the boy, but if that machine couldn't track him, Magneto would have just as hard a time as well.

Genma couldn't let him do that. He knew he wasn't the best father, due to a combination of 'what he had to do' and 'what he was too stupid to know he shouldn't do'. He'd tried to keep the boy from going with the lie about the seppuku pledge, and like Destiny had told him all those years ago, it didn't work. Ranma would be involved somehow. On which side, he didn't know, and Destiny hadn't seen anything to know for certain. Knowing the boy, though, Genma had a feeling it wouldn't be with Magneto.

'Still,' Genma thought as he made his way out of the alley, walking in the night back to the Tendo's. 'it should slow him down a bit. And,' the next thought brought a smile to his face, 'it should cause him a great deal of annoyance.' He chuckled at that. Genma was a student of Anything-Goes, after all.

Annoying one's master was practically a basic tenet.

* * *

_**- Back...to the present -**_

It was mid-afternoon when Ranma woke up again, and he immediately wished he hadn't. His head was pounding, and his body felt like someone had marched a small parade over it. His ki reserves had managed to refill partway, much faster than he had ever expected them to, which was of a small comfort.

Groaning as he pushed himself up, Ranma blinked as he noticed the position of the sun. "Dammit." He growled, "I missed most of the freakin' day now." Forcing himself to his feet, wincing a bit as he felt and heard his back pop rather loudly, "Okay, no more foolin' around. You figured out one thing, and it cost you most of the day." While it was a major breakthrough, as Ranma saw it, to be able to change without needing water, the after effects had not been pleasant. It had drained his ki so severely he'd lost consciousness.

With practice, he assumed he'd be able to do it more easily, without severe pain or several hours of unconsciousness. Increasing his ki reserves would likely help a lot as well. But that was something to consider later. He'd come to this town for one reason, and one reason only: to find his mother. And he was willing to spend as much time as he needed to in order to track her down.

A low rumble from his midsection alerted Ranma to another, slightly more pressing concern. He hadn't eaten in almost a day and a half now, since he'd gotten off the airplane in fact. Although calling that stuff food had been a stretch, it counted.

Packing up his meager belongings, Ranma dropped down to street-level in a nearby alley and set off to find something to eat.

Fifteen minutes later he was sitting at a booth in a fast food restaurant, a large pile of burgers in front of him. He hadn't been able to read the name of the place, but the smells had drawn him in. He knew this food wasn't good for him, but he had only limited funds at the moment. Making a promise to himself to double his training for the next week to make up for it, he bit into the first burger.

His eyes rolled upwards in pleasure. Oh, hell...something this good just had to be bad for him.

* * *

Rogue rolled her eyes. Leaning forward, she whispered, "Listen, blue boy, yah betta hurry up an' order, or ah'm gonna drain yah dry." 

Kurt chuckled nervously as he continued to stare up at the menu, oblivious to the growing line of annoyance behind him. "I'm trying, really...it's just all so good, how can I choose?"

Rogue growled, shooting a glare at the back of his head. Grabbing his arm and moving to the side, yanking him with her. "Well than at least let tha people behind yah go while yah figure it out." She crinkled her nose. "Ah honestly don't know why yah like the food here so much. All that grease 'n fat is gonna kill yah."

"Ya, I know." The German mutant agreed, his eyes not leaving the menu, "But I cahn't help it, it just tastes so good."

Rogue rolled her eyes again and crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned back against the wall behind her. "Well, hurry up. Ah wanna get back to tha mansion."

"Then vhy don't you just valk back?"

Rogue frowned, a small blush covering her cheeks as she muttered. "Ah haven't memorized tha way back yet." She had only been in the mansion for a couple of days, and still had trouble even finding the bathroom, much less how to get there from school.

Kurt nodded, trying to hold back a chuckle. "Ah, I see...vell, no vorry, just give the fozzy dude another minute, and ve'll be going." He flashed her a wide grin.

Rogue just leaned against the wall and looked away. "Like Ah said, just hurry up."

Tapping her foot impatiently, Rogue let her eyes wander around the room. Gah, some people ate here way too often. That guy in the corner booth looked about as large as Blob, only with none of the muscle. And the really cute boy with the pigtail had a tray with at least a dozen burgers on it. Hmmm...she examined him further. It didn't look like he ate them often, and his body, from what she could tell, was as far from out of shape as possible. And his utterly gorgeous gray-blue eyes...were...looking straight at her...

Eeeping, Rogue turned her head, trying and failing to fight down a blush. Damn boy was even cuter than Scott.

* * *

_'Damn,'_ Ranma thought to himself as he shook himself out of the brief trance he'd been in when he'd made eye contact with the girl across the room. _'That girl is seriously cute. Really dig the goth look too.'_ Finishing off another burger, he grinned as the girl looked away, noticing the blush on her cheek. '_Heh, still got it Saotome._' 

Unwrapping another burger, he continued to observe here out of the corner of his eye and revised his earlier opinion of 'cute' to 'damn fine'. She had a killer body, leanly muscled but with all the right curves. Looked to have some training as well, from the way she moved.

Shaking his head, Ranma turned his attention back to his meal. He had three fiancées back in Nerima, and here he was checking out another girl. Had Akane been here, he'd likely have his head smashed into the table. He mentally groaned at the thought. _'Stupid bitch,'_ he thought to himself with a grimace as he polished off the burger and reached for another. '_Glad I told her off in that note before I left.'_ Sure, it would likely cause problems when he saw her again, but it was just so damn worth it. He only wished he could have been there to see her reaction.

Inhaling the burger in his hand, Ranma reached for another only to find there wasn't another. Sighing, he stood, grabbing his tray and sucking down the last of his soft drink as he made his way over to the trash receptacle nearby the girl he'd been checking out before.

Rogue tired of waiting, grabbed Kurt's wrist. "That's it, blue boy, Ah'm sick o'waitin' for yah ta get yer stinkin' food. We're leavin'." Ignoring his protests, she tugged him alongwith her towards the exit.

So intent she was on leaving, she completely missed the foot that was extending, as well as the person attached to it. Feeling only something strike her shin painfully, Rogue lost her grip on Kurt as she pitched forwards. Letting out a shriek as she plummeted towards the ground Rogue closed her eyes tightly, bracing herself for impact.

Ranma bit off a curse as the girl tripped over his foot. How'd he miss her? Not sparing a moment to bother wondering, Ranma dashed after her, catching her around the waist with one arm before she hit the floor.

Rogue opened her eyes as she felt, instead of an impact with the floor, something around her waist. Glancing down, she could see it was an arm. Following it, she found it to be connected to the cute Asian boy she'd been looking at earlier. "Sorry 'bout that. Didn't see ya there." He said, flashing her a smile.

"I-it's ahright," she managed to stutter out, fighting to control her blush. "Ah shoulda been payin' more attention ta where Ah was goin'." Righting herself and - almost reluctantly – she regained her footing, suddenly wincing as a sudden pain shot up her leg.

"Ah, shit," The boy said, seeing her wince. "You alright? Ya didn't hurt yourself trippin' over my leg, did ya?" He leaned in, smirking lightly. "Ya banged inta it prett hard, after all."

"Ah'm fine," Rogue replied, shaking he head. "See?" she took a step forward, wincing again and almost buckling from the amount of pain. She gave the boy a weak smile.

He looked back at her with a smirk and a half-lidded gaze. "You're fine. Uh-huh. Right."

"Ve should probably get you home, Rogue," Kurt said, "Just in case you are hurt."

"That's a good idea," Ranma said, scooping up Rogue into his arms, who replied with a started yelp. Turning to Kurt, he asked. "Lead the way?"

"What are yah doin'?" Rogue asked. "Ah don't need yah ta carry me! I can walk fine on mah own!"

Kurt, noticing the audience they had started to gather, tried to butt in, "Hey-"

"Hey lady, listen," Ranma said, pushing the door open with his foot and exiting the establishment, Kurt right behind him. "It's my fault ya got hurt, so it's my responsibility to get you home safely, got it?"

"Look, mein freund," Kurt said, stepping in front of Ranma and placing a hand on his shoulder. "I can help her get home just as easily."

Rogue nodded enthusiastically. "He can, yeah!" not that she didn't want to be carried home by this handsome stranger, but the risk of accidentally making physical contact was too great. That, and she didn't know how the others would react to her bringing someone home without warning them beforehand.

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Hey, just be quiet an' let me do this for ya, okay? It don't look like your friend would be able to help ya," he glanced at Kurt, "no offense, buddy, but ya just don't look like ya got the muscle for it. And she needs to stay off that leg, at least until ya can have it looked at." he smirked, knowing there was no way in hell they could fault his logic on this. The other boy had arms like twigs, and while he had a decent amount of muscle, Ranma could tell it wouldn't be enough to carry the girl very far.

Kurt hadn't been planning on carrying Rogue back, of course, but he couldn't just come out and tell the guy he was going to teleport her back to the mansion. Giving Rogue a look and seeing her shrug, Kurt sighed.

"You're right," Kurt said. No way getting around this. Hopefully the guy wouldn't ask to come into the mansion. Kurt also hoped, perhaps even more fervently, that the boy didn't accidentally touch Rogue. Sending a guy into a coma would not make for a good first impression. "Follow me, I'll lead you there." Kurt began walking.

Ranma grinned as he followed alongside him. "Glad ya seein' it my way. Name's Ranma, by the way."

Kurt grinned back. "Kurt. Kurt Wagner. And the lovely young lady in your arms right now is Rogue."

Rogue shot Kurt a glare before looking up at Ranma with a smile. "Charmed, Ah'm sure. Listen, ya don't havta do all this..."

Ranma rolled his eyes. She wasn't going to stop trying to convince him, was she?

* * *

At Bayville High School, in the Principal's office sat a stern-looking woman with black-framed glasses and short brown hair. She wore a dark grey business suit, and was currently looking over some papers. On the desk was a nameplate stating that the woman seated at the desk was Principal Darkholme. 

And she could not have looked more annoyed.

"Dammit," she muttered for what must have been the thousandth time in the last week. "How could I have been so foolish?! I let her touch me, and now the girl's defected to Xavier's side!" She slammed her first on the table. It was a futile gesture, as futile as the words. She'd said the exact same thing so many times over the week, the words had lost all meaning.

She was upset about losing Rogue to Xavier, most definitely. The girl had one of the most potentially powerful mutations she had ever heard of, and now she was with the other side.

However, she was even more afraid of what her employer would do to her. He knew by now that Rogue had defected, there was no way he couldn't know. He was always around, always watching.

"Mystique..."

Yep, just like that.

Darkholme jumped out of her seat, a look of fear crossing over her face. That ominous, echoing voice always sent chills down her spine. Her form shifted, her skin turning blue and her hair turning a slightly shiny red. Her clothes became a white tunic with cute little skulls along the waist. "S-sir." she said nervously. Oh boy, she was dead. She eyed the thumb tacks that began to hover in front of her eyes.

"What happened, Mystique?" The voice was calm, but with a hint of promised terror if the answer she gave was not to his liking. "You had the girl...and you lost her. In a foolish attempt to kill one of Xavier's people..."

"Sir," Mystique managed to stutter out, her eyes never leaving the tacks as they hovered in front of her. "I apologize. She was beginning to grow close to the Summer's boy, and I panicked."

"And in your panicking, you drove her completely away, and into Xavier's grasp..." The tacks stopped moving, the points directly in front of her eyes. If she even blinked...

"I cannot apologize enough, sir..." She said.

"No, you cannot Mystique. It is fortunate that I had made contingency plans if we were ever to lose the girl..." The voice continued, "It is a difficult loss, but we are far from defeated..." the thumb tacks moved from her eyes, slowly floating back into the tray on her desk.

Mystique let out a sharp intake of breath she had not even known she was holding in. "What are we to do then, sir?"

"Where is Genma?"

The blue-skinned shapeshifter blinked at the question. "Genma? Sir, what do you want with him?"

"According to his reports, the boy has long surpassed even his ability in combat..." the voice explained, a twinge of annoyance in it's tone for even having to explain itself. "Destiny has said the boy will awaken soon, if he has not already... She knows not anything more about him...she sees too many probabilities surrounding the boy, too many paths he could take, each one as equally possible as the next..."

The boy... "Ranma?" Mystique asked, her eyes widening. "Do...do you know what his powers will be, sir?"

The voice grinned, somehow. "Yes, Ranma... And no, Destiny could not tell me...We have only her previous vision to go by...She cannot locate him, either, which brings me back to my original question...Where is Genma?" The words carried a slight force to them, belaying the calm tones of the voice.

Mystique shuddered. Destiny's first vision involving Ranma had been so incredibly vague, saying only that whatever side he eventually chose would be greatly benefited, and not much more than that. Somehow, her employer (she refused to call or even think of thim as 'master') had gotten far more meaning out of it that she had. "I...I cannot be certain, sir." She replied. "Japan, I'm certain...with the Tendo family, in Nerima, possibly...I'm afraid I can't give you more than that..."

"It is good enough, Mystique..." the voice said. "If he isn't there, then I will be forced to track him down myself, and if I am forced to do that..." the threat was left hanging in the air, although Mystique had no idea if it was directed at her or at Genma. "If he is there, however, then the boy must be as well..." the voice faded, and seconds later Mystique felt the presence vanish completely.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Mystique shifted back into her 'Principal Darkholme' persona. Sitting back down in her chair, she placed her head in her hand and sighed. Why did she have the feeling things were about to become a lot more difficult?

Returning to the papers she had been examining earlier, she shook her head to clear it. Losing Rogue meant her group was down by one, leaving her with four. Xavier had six, plus the weather witch and the angry one.

They were way too outnumbered. Which meant it was time for Mystique to do a little more recruiting of her own. Which brought were what the papers in front of her were about. New mutants, all of them, and none had yet been discovered or recruited by Xavier. Which meant she could grab them first.

Unfortunately, only one of them looked to be worth taking...

Looks like she'd be making a trip to Nerima soon as well.

* * *

Ryoga Hibiki was not a patient man. 

Nor was he a happy man, most of the time. Intelligent, calm, understanding, and reasonable were also words that were rarely used to describe him. Quite the opposite in fact. Ryoga didn't care much how other's viewed him though, with one exception of course, so he didn't pay attention to such things.

Ryoga had one real goal in life. Two, actually, but they were so interconnected now that it made it easier to just consider them to be one. Defeat Ranma Saotome, and win the love of Akane Tendo. He knew that accomplishing the first would bring about the second, so that was the one he focused on. He trained to make himself stronger, every day, in order to defeat Ranma.

And then, two days ago, Ranma had run off like the coward he was, leaving only a note of lies and an upset family behind him. Ryoga would not let him get away with that, so without any preamble he set out. And got promptly lost. But he wasn't about to admit he was lost, not when he knew he would find Ranma eventually. He always did.

And so Ryoga searched. And trained harder than ever before.

Several days before Ranma ran away, almost overnight Ryoga's ki reserves had suddenly expanded to almost double their original capacity. And they didn't stop there. They had continued to expand over the next few days, until they finally stopped, leaving Ryoga with almost ten times as much as he had originally. He didn't know how it'd happened, and he didn't really care. Besides, it was likely just his training...he had been training really hard. Something inside him must have just snapped, and this was the result. Immediately he started trying to find the Tendo Dojo.

When he finally found it, he was in his cursed form, and Akane had immediately cuddled him, making him almost forget about Ranma. When he finally remembered, he made the decision to let Ranma have one last night of peace before Ryoga Hibiki brought him to his knees.

The next morning, Ranma had run off. After seeing the note the cad had left for Akane, Ryoga had run off as well, in search of his eternal foe.

Ryoga grinned maliciously as he walked through the forest. Ranma wouldn't be able to handle him, now. He would prove he was better and stronger than Ranma. He grunted as his aura flared in anger, nearly igniting a nearby tree. Scowling for a moment, he concentrated and forced it back, breathing heavily by the time it was all contained.

He would beat Ranma, and force the half-man to admit his superiority... just as soon as he figured out how to control his new reserves.

Slumping against a tree, breathing heavily, Ryoga prepared himself for another night of intense mediation. He needed control before anything else. First control, then training, then finding where Ranma had run off to, and then...

Ryoga Hibiki was not a patient man. But when it came to beating Ranma, he could wait as long as he needed to to make sure it happened.

* * *

"Hmm..." Xavier stared at Cerebro's display. It had managed to pick up the signature of the mutant they had detected the previous night. To his surprise, it was approaching the mansion. "Tell me Logan, do you believe in coincidence?" he asked the man behind him. 

Logan snorted, but said nothing. Turning, he went to greet their new guest.

* * *

"'The Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters.'" Ranma read aloud. Looking through the gate and down the long path that led to the school, he looked down at Rogue. "You guys live at a school?" 

Rogue nodded, looking over at Kurt. She'd tried numerous times to tell Ranma he didn't have to do this, that she wasn't hurt too badly, but he had either just ignored her, or, to her annoyance, managed to turn every argument against her. Finally she had resigned herself to the fate of being carried home by a really cute boy.

Kurt pressed his thumb against the scanner. After a second, the gates opened, a robotic voice stating. **'Identity confirmed. welcome, Kurt Wagner.' **Ranma raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing as he walked through the gates, Kurt behind him. Absently, he shifted his hold on the girl as he felt her begin to slide a little, moving one arm behind her neck and the other into a firmer hold beneath under the legs.

Wincing a bit as his movement jostled her hurt leg, Rogue's eyes widened as she suddenly realized where his arm was now. Her neck wasn't as well covered as the rest of her was. And he was wearing short sleeves.

'Ah well, looks like it's gonna happen again,' she thought to herself, preparing for an influx of memories. She hoped she'd at least fall on top of him, so she didn't hit the ground when he passed out. Closing her eyes, she braced herself...

...for absolutely nothing.

Blinking, Rogue shifted a bit to make sure. Yep, back of the neck was uncovered. Yep, his arms were bare. And yep, they were in direct contact.

Noticing her shift, Ranma glanced down at her. "Uncomfortable?" he asked.

"Nah," Rogue said absently, her mind still trying to process what had just happened, not paying attention to the words she said. "Ah'm comfy." Ranma raised an eyebrow, smirking but saying nothing.

Hearing footsteps, Ranma looked up and was surprised to see the man who'd congratulated him on his fight the previous night. "Hey, your that guy from the alley."

Logan raised an eyebrow and smirked. "And yer the kid who kicked five guy's asses last night. I remember you." He'd had a feeling this kid was the mutant Ororo had been trying to find last night. His appearance right now further confirmed it. "What happened to you?" he asked point at Rogue.

"Ah tripped over Ranma an' hurt mah leg. He carried me back." She replied, shooting Logan a look that screamed _'I need to talk to you.'_

Giving Rogue a very slight nod, he looked back up. "Hey, kid, I'll take her from here." without giving him time to object, Logan scooped the girl out of his arms, making certain he didn't make contact with the little amount of skin she had exposed. Grunting, he glanced at the two boys. "Elf, take the kid inside."

Ranma shook his head. "Nah, no need." he said, "I should really get going."

Logan frowned. "Just come in for a little bit, kid." he said, quickly fishing for a reason to get the kid to stay. "Got someone inside that wants ta talk to ya."

Ranma shrugged. He didn't really have anywhere to be tonight, and he hadn't really made any plans for how he was going to search for his mother beyond walking around and hoping to get lucky. Why not go in and talk to this guy? Might even get a free meal out of it. "'k."

Logan blinked. Kid turned around faster than he'd thought. Shrugging, he turned to Kurt. "Elf, take the kid to the Prof. He's in the library. I'll get the lady up to her room."

Kurt looked at Logan in slight confusion, then his eyes widened as he got a better look at Ranma. He did resemble the description Logan had given. "Ah, right." he replied, opening the door. Logan and Rogue went inside first, Ranma and Kurt following them.

Tapping Ranma on the arm to get his attention. "Come along, mein fruend. I'll take you to ze Professor."

Lifting his hands up behind his head, Ranma shrugged. "Lead away."

* * *

"Okay, what'd you want to tell me that those two couldn't hear?" Logan asked as he carried Rogue into the room she shared with Kitty. 

"Ah touched him, Logan." Rogue blurted out, surprise still evident in her features as she looked at her hands. "When he was carryin' me, his arm touched the back of mah neck. An nothin' happened."

Logan's eyes widened. "Really now...are ya sure?" Seeing Rogue nod frantically, Logan shot a look in the direction of the library, where he assumed the kid was now. "Huh...might have somethin' to do with his powers." he muttered, setting Roogue down gently on her bed.

"Powers? He's a mutant?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "Cerebro apparently picked him up last night, but then lost him. Prof don't know why." he shook his head. "Enough about that right now, how's the leg?"

Rogue reached down, wincing slightly as she rolled her pant leg up. Grimacing as she saw a large bruise had formed, she looked up at Logan. "It hurts ta put any pressure on it, but Ah didn't expect it ta look this bad..."

"And you said you merely tripped over his leg?" Logan asked, an eyebrow raised, looking at the bruise.

Rogue grimaced again. "More like he accidentally kicked mah leg. Neither of us seemed to be payin' attention. Logan," she looked up, "Do yah think it mighta been a fluke? Me bein'...able ta touch him?"

Logan grunted in response, his eyes remaining on her injury. "Can't say. You're certain you touched him? It wasn't just your imagination?" Seeing Rogue nod, he shrugged. "I have no idea. But don't get yer hopes up, got it?" Seeing Rogue nod, he held out his arm. "Good. Now take off your glove and do your thing."

"What?" Rogue asked, blinking. "Why?"

Logan growled "Because I don't like the looks of that bruise, and the doc can't touch you to make a more accurate diagnosis. So I'm not gonna risk it. Grab my arm, absorb my powers, and let it heal itself. Do it, or I'll rip the glove off your hand and make you do it."

Eying Logan for a moment, Rogue nodded, pulling off her glove.

* * *

Arriving in the library, Ranma saw there were already a few people present. His mind entering combat analysis mode, he was easily able to determine that none were a physical threat to him, and none were planning on attacking. Letting himself relax, he gave the group a wave as Kurt walked off. 

The bald man in the wheelchair smiled as he entered the room. Ranma smiled back. "Hey. What up? Heard ya wanted ta talk ta me?"

"Indeed I did," the bald man replied, "my name is Professor Charles Xavier, and I am the headmaster of this institute." he gestured towards an open chair. "Please, have a seat."

"Sure," Ranma said, grabbing hold of the back of the chair and pulling himself over it, landing in the chair with one leg over the armrest, the picture of relaxation. "Name's Ranma. Ranma Saotome. Nice t'meetcha."

Xavier blinked. Remarkable agility. "Yes, but first, allow me to introduce you to the others." he gestured to a tall and, Ranma had to admit, drop-dead gorgeous African woman. "This is Ororo Monroe, one of the instructors here. Next to her is Jean Grey," he gestured to a beautiful redhead about his age. "And over here is Scott Summers." A tall brown-haired boy with red sunglasses, also Ranma's age.

Ranma waved to each of them. "Heya."

"Now, Ranma..." Xavier began, "I suppose you've been noticing some changes in yourself lately."

Ranma shook his head. "Nope."

The four of them blinked simultaneously, making an amusing sound. "Are you sure, Ranma? Nothing unusual happened to you?" Ororo asked.

Ranma shook his head. "I never said that. Unusual shit's been happenin' to me for years now." He paused, "Why do ya ask?"

Xavier had not expected something like this. Most mutants, upon their awakening, knew something had happened, but somehow this boy had not. Perhaps the nature of his powers are not as obvious as others..."Well...that makes this explanation a bit more difficult..."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Ranma was processing what he'd been told. 

"Okay...so this is a school for mu-mutants." the word was a new one to him. "A place where mutants can learn t'use their powers and shit, both to control them and ta help defend people against other mutants who might not be as nice? Right?" He asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose. At Xavier's nod, Ranma continued. "And mutants are people with special powers, people who are more further along th'evolutionary scale, so to speak." Again Xavier nodded. "This is due to some complicated genetics stuff I didn't understand, and I gotta admit I kinda spaced out during the explanation of." Xavier nodded, this time trying to hold back a chuckle, which Ranma ignored. "And, to top it all off, you're sayin' I'm a mutant 'cause your computer thingy went off last night, and again just a little while ago."

"That is all correct, Saotome-san." Xavier replied.

Ranma shrugged. "Cool. When's dinner?"

Xavier blinked. Several times. Shooting quick glances at Ororo, Scott, and Jean, noting the surprise on the faces of all three, he felt a little better. At least he wasn't alone. "I must say, that's a different reaction than I am used to seeing."

Ranma shrugged. "Feh. I've had a curse for over a year now that turns me into a girl. I've fought ghosts, monsters, and crazed martial artists. I've learned things that already make me superhuman, to a degree, so what's the big deal about not bein' human?" He smirked. "Never felt very human to begin with, anyway. So what's my power? Can I fly?" he asked eagerly.

Xavier chuckled, making a mental note to ask the boy about some of those things later. The boy was somehow blocking his telepathy, so he couldn't tell if he was lying or not. "I'm afraid I don't quite know yet, Ranma. For you see, while Cerebro is very powerful, it seems to be having some difficulties in regards to you. All we've been able to find out since you appeared last night was your location."

"I might have an answer to that, Chuck," a gruff voice stated from behind Rama. Tilting his head to look past the chair back, Ranma saw it was the guy from before with the funny hair.

"Logan." Xavier smiled, "Ranma, I would like you to meet-"

"We've already met, Chuck." Logan interrupted. "Twice now. Haven't been introduced, though." he held out a hand to Ranma. "Logan."

Ranma reached out, grabbing the man's wrist in a firm grip, He smirked as he saw Logan repeat the gesture without hesitation. "Ranma Saotome. Nice to get a name to go with the funny hair." He could hear Scott and Jean snickering at that.

Logan snorted. "You're one to talk, Pigtail."

"Logan," Xavier continued, "You said you may have idea as to what kind of abilities young Ranma may have?"

"Yeah." Logan said, "The kid came here with Rogue 'n the elf. Apparently, there was an accident when the three met, and Rogue was injured." Ranma chuckled nervously. "Anyway, pigtail here was carryin' her home, and at one point his skin got inta contact with hers."

Scott leaned forward. "And what happened?" If she absorbed his powers, that'd make finding out what they were a bit easier.

Logan took a breath. "Nothin'."

A shocked expression came across Scott's face. "Nothing? At all?"

"At all."

Ranma was looking back and forth between the two, confusion apparent in his features. Seeing this, Xavier explained. "Rogue has the ability to, with a touch, drain the memories, abilities, and, in the case of mutants, powers. This is an ability she cannot control, which is the reason she covers up as much of herself as she can." Comprehension dawned on Ranma's face.

"So...what does this mean exactly, professor?" Scott asked.

Xavier smiled, looking to Ranma, who apparently hadn't made the connection completely either. "Hmmm...Scott, hold out your arm." Scott did so, and Xavier looked to Ranma. "Now, Ranma, if you would, please touch Scott." Xavier rolled his eyes at the looks on the boy's faces and at Jean's snickering. Children. "Yes, I know how it sounds, just do it, please."

Ranma glanced at Scott, who shrugged, and did as asked, grabbing Scott by the wrist. "Thank you," Xavier continued, "Now, Scott...take off your sunglasses. Trust me on this, please."

Slowly, Scott removed his shades. Taking a deep breath, and trusting in Xavier, he opened his eyes.

For the first time in years, Scott saw the world without a tint of red. Blinking several times as his eyes adjusted to colours he hadn't seen in years, Scott looked around. Huh, it wasn't just the tint, Jean actually did have red hair.

Jean looked over at the professor, eyes wide. Wow, Scott had some really nice green eyes..."Professor, what does this mean exactly?"

Xavier smiled. He was right. "Ranma, from what little data I have been able to gather, has the ability, has the ability to cancel out the powers of any mutant he is in direct physical contact with." Turning to Ranma he quickly gave an explanation of Scott's powers, which, like Rogue's he didn't have complete control over.

Scott put his glasses back on, his head beginning to hurt from all the new colours, and pulled his wrist away from Ranma. "Is it only through direct contact? Or do you think he'd be able to extend the effect past his body?" His mind was already thinking out the tactical value and possibilities of Ranma's powers.

Xavier shook his head. "I am not sure at the moment, Scott. The only other thing I can determine is that it completely blocks telepathy as well, which is probably why we had such trouble locating him with Cerebro." he turned to Ranma, who had begun to space out a bit. "Ranma, I would like to offer you a place at our school, and with the X-Men. We can help you learn how to control your powers, plus, I won't lie to you, you abilities would be of great use during missions."

Ranma frowned for a second. "I dunno...sounds like fun 'n all, but I kinda have somethin' I'm doin' right now, y'know? The whole reason I came here to Bayville to find my mother. Haven't seen her in ten years."

Xavier nodded. "I understand completely. If you would like, we can offer you a place to stay in the mansion, and help you locate your mother."

Ranma grinned. "Free food, room, and the chance to get into incredibly dangerous fights with people who might be able to kill me? Oh, hell yeah." He idly wondered why the others were giving him those weird looks.

Logan smirked from his spot against the wall. He couldn't wait to show the kid the Danger Room.

* * *

End Chapter Two

* * *

Well, I didn't get everything I had intended to put into this chapter, into this chapter, but when I that felt like a good place to end it. 

A few notes:

Xavier is wrong. Ranma's power is not nullification. Rather, the nullification is a sort of "by-product" of Ranma's actual ability, which won't be revealed for some time. Why? Because I'm a bastard, and because they won't be looking for it. After all, they think they have it figured out.

As for the bit with learning how to control the curse in the beginning, it's a minor secondary mutation that was effected by Jusenkyo, which allows him (with practice) to switch through force of will, which, at the moment, leaves him very drained, although that won't be the case for long. It will still be triggered by water, however, but now when he's splashed he won't have to go find hot water. There may be some side effects from this control, however... Anyway, doing this is just so I can make his life a little easier in one regard, since it's about to become so much more difficult in others...

This, like all chapters before and after, will be periodically fixed for minor mistakes in spelling and grammar that I didn't manage to catch while reading through. So don't be surprised if some minor part of the story changes in the future.


	3. Chapter 3

**Evolution ½**

Disclaimer: I don't own nothin'! If I did, X-Men: Evolution would still be makin' new episodes, and Ranma 1/2 would definitely had ended differently. Possibly involving giant robots. Everyone loves giant robots.**  
**

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

Ranma laughed as he dodged another saw blade and weaved his way around three laser shots. Jumping onto the arm attached to the blade, he shot himself up into the air and severed all three laser cannons from their mounts with a single spin kick. Landing again on the arm of the blade, he ricocheted off of it and, flipping over a set of flamthrowers as they shot blasts of fire threw what would have been his path – were he restricted to only two dimensions.

Almost casually dodging razor-sharp spikes that shot up out of the floor, Ranma jumped to avoid yet another blade, immediately swerving in midair to avoid a painful-looking thing crackling with electricity as it swung down.

Reaching the end of the course, Ranma's grin widened as he saw a large, vaguely humanoid robot. Dipping back to avoid a blast from the mechanical creature's palm, Ranma immediately shot up into the air, landing on the robot's head. Pulling his fist back, his hand shining with a blue glow as he fed his key into hand, punching down hard on the robot's head, breaking through the metal. Pulling his hand out, shaking it slightly - damn metal turned out to be harder than he'd thought – he flipped off of it, charging up a ki blast. Landing on his feet, he thrust his his hands forward and fired it off, consciously holding back on yelling 'Moko Takabisha' as he did so. He'd come to the realization that yelling his attacks looked and sounded pretty stupid, not to mention gave his opponents time to prepare a defense if they knew the attack.

The blue blast of life force rocketed forward, hitting the robot directly and exploding against it, knocking it to the ground. Following right behind his blast, Ranma was on the 'bot. Grabbing it's head, Ranma pulled, tearing it off in a shower of sparks. Grinning, he tossed in into the course, laughing as it was torn apart by one of the sawblades.

Still grinning, Ranma looked up at the control room hanging from the middle of the ceiling. "That the best this place can offer? I barely broke a sweat." he stated arrogantly.

A dry voice came over the speakers. "Right, pigtail. Ya can have another go at it later if you want, right now we need ya up here. Gotta meet the rest of your housemates."

"Oh, alright." Ranma replied, pulling off his shirt and wiping his brow with it. "Be up in a sec."

* * *

Up in the control room, Logan grinned over at Xavier. "Toldja the kid would love the Danger Room, Chuck." he said. The kid was even more skilled than Logan had thought. He was capable of using his ki, something Logan had heard of but never seen. 

Xavier smiled, inwardly amazed by the boys physical prowess. He'd been certain some of those feats had been mutant in origin, but the sensors never once wavered. Everything he did, including that energy blast, had somehow been achieved through pure skill. Logan had muttered something about "ki" after the boy had shot the energy blast off, and Xavier had made a mental note to ask him what that meant later.

Smiling as he saw his other students enter, Xavier gestured for them to come over. "I'd like you to meet our newest student. He just had a session in the Danger Room and shall be joining us shortly. But first," he gestured to Logan, who cued up the recording of Ranma's session. "I'd like you to watch this."

The students turned to observe the monitor. Logan smirked as he pressed play. "Don't blink." The screen flashed, the image resolving into a scene of the Danger Room. Soon, an attractive Asian boy entered the frame, about 17 years old, with long black hair tied into a braid and an insufferably arrogant yet charming smirk on his face. The camera pulled back, showing the teen in a confident pose, the girls in the room taking care to note his slender yet muscled frame.

Rogue, who had healed completely after absorbing Logan's powers earlier, suddenly gasped as recognition set in. "Hey, that's tha boy who carried me home."

Kitty grinned, turning to Rogue, her eyes wide. "Like, that total cutie carried you home? You are so giving me details later."

Rogue shot Kitty a glare, her response cut off by Logan's growl. "Shut up and watch, both of you."

Turning back to the monitor, the teen continued to stand, tapping his foot impatiently. A buzzing noise sounded, and the teen darted onto the course. What followed next caught everyone by surprise. The boy proceeded to duck, dodge, and weave his way around every obstacle, destroying some, leaving others behind. Within seconds he'd made his way through, without a scratch. When he took down the robot, some of them felt the need to sit down.

"Huh." Evan said, a smirk on his face. "Not bad."

"Not bad?" Kitty said, her eyes wide and excited. "That was so cool!"

Xavier smiled. "Yes, it was very impressive. But the reason I wanted you to see this before formally meeting your new teammate, was because everything you him do saw, from the way he moved to the energy blasts he fired... all of that was done without his powers."

Now Evan was impressed. "No powers?" he asked, "Then how'd he do all that? Especially those energy blasts? He some kinda cyborg?"

Logan smirked. "The kid's gotta lot of training in the martial arts, porcupine. No mechanical parts or anythin' like that in 'im."

"Over ten nonstop years, to be more exact."

The group turned to the voice to see the pigtailed boy from the tape, leaning against the wall, shirt hanging over his shoulder. The girls blushed slightly as their eyes made an involuntary inspection of his chest, Kitty herself having to hold back a shiver as her eyes washed over his abs.

Ranma pushed off the wall and stepped forward, flashing his trademark grin. "Ranma Saotome." he said, giving a short bow.

"Ranma, thank you for joining us." Xavier said with a smile. "Some of the other students have met you have met you already, of course. The two you don't know are Evan Daniels," Ranma noted the black boy with blond hair give him a short wave, "And Katherine Pryde."

A cute girl with brown hair waved, her other hand playing with her ponytail. "You can call me Kitty," she said, blushing slightly.

Ranma fought back a flinch. '_Moron, the girl's just named after 'em, she ain't actually one.' _

He was about to respond when, in puff of smoke a bamf-ish sound, a blue furred boy who looked strangely like Kurt appeared in front of him. "Dude!" the boy said, grinning and showing very prominent canines. "That was so totally cool!"

Ranma blinked, then looked closer at the boy. He thought he recognized the voice... "Kurt?" he asked. "You're blue now. And fuzzy."

Kurt blinked, then smacked his forehead, revealing to Ranma that he had only two fingers and a thumb. "Oh, right, ze image inducer." He reached up and tapped a button on his watch, and was replaced with the person Ranma had seen earlier.

"Kurt's mutation has resulted in not only his powers, but his appearance," Xavier explained. "He wears the image inducer so that he can appear more human in public. As I told you before, humans are mostly unaware of our existence, and such would not understand Kurt's strange appearance."

Ranma nodded. That made sense. "Cool. Like tha tail."

"So..." Evan asked, jerking his thumb back at the monitor, "if you didn't use any powers in there, what are your powers?"

Ranma glanced over at Xavier, who smirked and nodded towards Rogue. Blinking in confusion for a moment, Ranma recalled what he had been told earlier about Rogue's powers, and about his own. Ranma smirked and looked over at Evan. "Wanna see?"

Without waiting for an answer, Ranma moved over to Rogue. Grinning, he held up a finger in front of her face. Slowly, he began to move it back and forth in front of her eyes.

Confused, Rogue followed the finger, wondering what this was supposed to do.

The others watched intently, with the exception of Scott and Jean, who knew what Ranma's powers were, and were thoroughly amused by this.

Evan sighed, getting impatient. "What is all of that finger waving supposed to do?"

Ranma grinned. "Annoy you." and with that, he placed his finger directly on Rogue's nose. "Boop!"

It took everyone -those who didn't know of Ranma's powers- several seconds to realize what he was doing.

Rogue let out an uncharacteristic 'eep', once again freaking slightly as she expected his touch to start the usual transfer of memories and powers. After a second, she remembered what had happened earlier and relaxed. She blushed a little, then started to feel slightly annoyed that this guy she barely knew had his finger on her nose.

A shout of warning rose in Kitty's throat when his skin made contact with Rogue, then died when she saw what was happening. Or, to be more accurate, what _wasn't_ happening. Her eyes widened. He could touch Rogue? He could touch Rogue! A conspiratory smile crossed her face. Rogue seriously needed to lighten up, and if this guy could touch her...Kitty considered herself one of the good guys, so she refrained from diabolical laughter.

Kurt reacted in a manner similar to Kitty, but made no plans to hook the two up.

Evan raised an eyebrow. So he could touch Rogue? "I don't quite understand..." he said.

Ranma looked over at the blond boy. "Accordin' to the Professor here, as long as I'm in physical contact with another mutant, their powers don't work."

"Umm...could you take your finger off my nose, please?"

Pulling his hand away, Ranma chuckled nervously. "Heh, sorry 'bout that." he scratched the base of his pigtail.

"Yes, as far as we have been able to tell, Ranma has the ability to nullify powers while in direct contact." Xavier said, offering the group a more solid explanation. "This nullification also appears to prevent the effects of telepathy, and possibly any attacks that directly effect the mind, from getting through from any distance. I've been testing it since I determined his powers, and I have yet to break through." Xavier silently added that he thought it might be possible to break through with a psychic attack of extreme strength, however. Such an attack would likely tear apart Ranma's mind, however, so he was not willing to test this theory. "Like Rogue's powers, it is not something he is able to turn off, but also like Rogue, unless I'm mistaken, he will not be able to effect anyone who is not touching him directly."

"If those energy blasts weren't your powers, how did you do them?" Jean asked.

Ranma held up his hand, concentrating briefly. A small ball of blue energy formed about his palm, casuing everyone to lean in to get a closer look. "It's ki, not energy...well, not exactly. It's life energy, the energy that keeps yer body alive. Martial artists with skill like mine have learned how ta harness it as a weapon. Can also use it ta enhance physical abilities, like speed and strength. Like I did in there, when I moved so fast and tore off tha robot's head."

Seeing the rest of them didn't completely understand, Logan simplified it. "It's one of the things Rogue drains when she touches someone,"

Comprehension passed over everyone's faces at that. Rogue stared closer at the little ball of energy. That was what she took from people?

Ranma let the ball of ki dissipate, nodding. "Yeah, exactly."

Logan glanced at the time. "Hey, Chuck, sorry ta havta cut all this short, but it's chow time. I'm sure pigtail here is hungry after three hours in the Danger Room."

As if on cue (and, in fact, it was; Ranma's father had taught him how to do it when he was seven to better play into scamming free food from vendors), Ranma's stomach let out a loud groan. Raising his hand to scratch the back of his pigtail and chuckle in embarrassment, and thereby completing the technique, he was rewarded with the laughter of the others and being led to the dining room.

Heh. Saotome School of Anything-Goes Growl of the Hungry Bear technique. Worked every time.

* * *

After dinner and more discussion, Ranma had been shown to a room. When he entered, he was surprised to find it was larger than the Tendo's guest room by quite a fair degree. The room had little decoration, with only a wardrobe, a desk, a night stand, and a bed. An alarm clock was on the nightstand, and one of the doors on the wardrobe had a mirror attached to it. 

Dropping his pack in the middle of the floor, Ranma looked around the room. What the hell was he gonna do with all this space?

Frowning, and then shrugging the matter off as unimportant at the moment, Ranma was about to hop into bed when something occurred to him. Walking over to the mirror, Ranma stared into it.

"Might as well give it another go..." he muttered.

Staring intently into the mirror, Ranma pictured his female form in his mind and focused his inner energies. He had done it earlier today, although he had no idea how, so that meant he could do it again.

Gritting his teeth, Ranma focused harder, his eyes glowing a soft blue as he focused his ki inward. "Change." he growled through his teeth. His hair flickered slightly, becoming red for a second before returning to it's usual black.

"Change!" he growled again, drops of sweat trickling down his forehead. His hair again flickered, and his skin took a slight bluish tint for just as long.

"Change!" he snarled, practically shouting. He would not lose this. He could feel it. His body started to shrink, very slowly, his hair turning from black to red. He could feel his mass lessening and re-distributing.

Groaning as a pain shot through his head, he lost his hold on his ki. Shaking his head to force it to the back of his mind, he looked in the mirror.

A blue faced redhead stared back at her. Ranma grinned weakly, and the mirror copied her expression. She'd done it again, and this time she had a better idea as to what had happened. What's more, it seemed like it had taken less ki this time. Very odd.

Regaining his breath, Ranma stared into the mirror again. Just as she did before, she focused her ki, centering her mind on the image of her male form. Her eyes almost glowing with a blue light, Ranma concentrated. "Change." She whispered. This time, however, she let go of her ki, letting resume it's regular flow through her body seconds after she forced it.

Her form shifted again, regaining height and mass. Her breasts sank back into her chest and formed hard pectorals, her curves vanishing, sexual organs moving from inside to out. His hair turned black and his skin returned to normal.

Ranma blinked, breathing hard. This was the first time he'd seen it happen this way. The change wasn't instantaneous like it had been when water was the only trigger. It was more fluid, for lack of a better term. His form actually shifted, within the span of a few seconds, all of his bones and muscles and organs had shifted around, some vanishing, other ones appearing. This was very strange, definitely requiring more thought and practice.

Another time, though. Ranma yawned. His ki was almost completely depleted. Stumbling his way over to the bed, Ranma barely managed to fall into it before passing out completely.

* * *

At Narita International Airport in the Chiba Prefecture, a small private plane had just landed. Workers were hurrying to push a stairway over to the main door. 

Once the stairway was in place, as if choreographed, a sleek black limousine pulled up, and the passenger side back door flipped open. Simultaneously, the plane door flipped open, revealing Raven Darkholme, clad in her usual business suit and black-rimmed glasses. Making her way down the stairway, she walked directly into the limousine, slamming the door behind her.

Sitting down and buckling her seatbelt, she crossed one leg over the other, not even bothering to look at the man in the seat next to hers as the limo started moving forward. A man wearing large sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt, with a small palm tree growing out of his head.

"Hey keiki, it be good seein' you again. How dis li-gurk!" He was cut off as a white-gloved hand gabbed his jaw.

"Kocho," Mystique growled as her form rippled, shifting into her natural state. "I don't want to tell you again. I have no patience for your little act. Drop it and speak intelligently before I have to hurt you."

Kocho gulped a bit, nodding, the palm tree in his hair shaking as he did. His mouth was released, and he continued speaking, this time without the accent. Clearing his throat, he spoke again. "I meant, of course, it is good to see you again, Mystique. Have you been well?"

"And you also know better than to bother with small talk, Kocho." Mystique's voice was pure steel. "What do you have for me?"

Kocho cleared his throat. "You have seen the reports I have sent you, correct?" Seeing her nod, he continued. "As you are aware, then, the mutant population has been steadily increasing over the years. Furinkan High School alone has a little under two dozen students with the X-gene. Unfortunately, most of them are dormant." He handed her a stack of papers. "These are the most recent reports on those students with potentially or already active X-genes."

As Mystique began looking through them, Kocho continued to speak. "Hikaru Gosunkugi appears to have manifested already, although I doubt he even knows it. He sub-consciously erases himself from the minds of other people, making him easily forgettable. His powers seem rather limited beyond this, however."

"Still," Mystique said, going over the file on the boy. "He could make a decent spy..."

"Kid has no backbone either. Almost the epitome of meek." Kocho countered. "Apparently tries sorcery on occasion, but he always fails. Not much more can be said about him."

Mystique nodded, shifting to the next sheet. "Betsy Braddock."

"English exchange student. Her X-gene is still inactive, and we are as of yet unsure what path her powers will take. We haven't been able to discover much on her personality either, to be honest. Tends to keep to herself. Seems like a nice kid, though."

Mystique shifted to the next page. "We have no use for nice in our organization." she stated. "And since she has yet to manifest, that means training, which means time, which I don't have enough of." She paused, then continued. "Although, if she manifests and proves powerful, contact me immediately.

Kocho nodded. "Nabiki Tendo. One older sister, with a dormant gene, and one younger, who is human. Nabiki herself has yet to awaken, but it will happen within a number of weeks, two or three is my personal guess. My projections show she will exhibit a rather unique form of telepathy and cyberpathy, but how unique and in what ways has yet to be known."

"Tendo..." Mystique said, eying the file. Her son was engaged to this girl's sister? Not if she had anything to say about it. Ranma was way too young to be tied down to anyone, much less a...human. "Does the Tendo family have any houseguests at the moment?"

Kocho frowned. "You must be referring to the Saotomes." he said, irritability in his tone.

"Yes, I am. Specifically, the son." Mystique replied, an edge to her tone.

"Yes, Ranma...he was here." Kocho said hesitantly. "He vanished about three days ago. No one knows where he went, or for what reason."

Mystique frowned, sighing inwardly. She'd been hoping he might still be here.

Kocho continued. "My readings indicated the oddest thing...his X-gene was partially active, and had been for several years now, something that I have never encountered nor heard of. It will have fully awakened by now, but still, having a partially active X-gene..."

"And his powers?"

"No idea." Kocho frowned. "I haven't been able to sense anything. It's as if something was blocking me. It's been...quite frustrating."

Mystique growled. Dammit, was there anyone who had any idea what Ranma's mutation was? Destiny couldn't see it, and now it turns out Kocho's Cerebro-esque powers were unable to detect it. "It could be," she theorized, "that your inability to get more information is a result of his mutation." If that was the case, Xavier might not be able to find him either.

"Perhaps." the man replied. "Not that it matters anymore. He's gone, so I don't have to bother with him." He gulped as Mystique growled at him. What the hell? Did she have some kind of connection to the little jerk?

"Do you have anything else for me?" she asked through clenched teeth. "What of your own children?"

"Tatewaki is human." Kocho replied, frowning, disappointment evident in his tone. "Kodachi however, has the X-gene, although it is not yet active. Soon, though. Her abilities will involve plants, which should come to no surprise to anyone who knows her." Kocho rolled his eyes. Could fate get any more cliché? "Unfortunately, she will not be available to you."

The blue-skinned woman glared at him. "And why is that?"

"Orders from the top. She's been...earmarked."

Mystique's eyes widened slightly. That didn't sound good. Changing the topic, she asked. "Tell me, what do you know of a..." she checked the file she had brought with her. "Ryoga Hibiki."

"He's a rival of Saotome's." Kocho replied. "Shows up every now and then, starts a fight, usually loses, re-swears vengeance. X-gene just became active about a week before Ranma vanished. His body is capable of holding ten times more life energy, or 'ki' as the martial artists call it, than humanly possible, with none of the usual negative side-effects. This can be used to augment strength, speed, endurance, etc, as well as fire energy blasts. If he's capable of getting creative, he may be able to think up even more uses." Kocho paused for a second. "Personality-wise, he's not very bright, overly-emotional, and prone to fits of depression. He is loyal and easily manipulated, though. Gets lost incredibly easily too, though, so he's not especially reliable."

Mystique considered this. Personality-wise, he'd fit right in with the rest of the morons she'd recruited, and in terms of power he sounded very impressive. This rivalry with Ranma, though..."And his feelings towards Ranma? Is it a simple rivalry, or something more?"

"Has openly declared his wishes to kill the boy, though I doubt he'd ever go through with it. "

Mystique frowned, throwing the file on the limousine floor. So much for that kid. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she leaned back. "Kocho, please tell me you have a mutant here that's worth my time, and that this trip was not a complete waste?"

Kocho gulped. "Unfortunately, aside from the Gosunkugi boy and the Hibiki kid, everyone else with an x-gene in this district is inactive. If you come back in a few wee-GURK."

"You told me this trip would be worth my time, Kocho." Mystique said, glaring as she tightened her grip on the man's throat. "And instead, you give me a weakling with minor psychic abilities, this Hibiki loser, and a bunch of kids with currently inactive x-genes." She growled, a ripple moving through her body as her form shifted into one more frightening and demonic. She leaned into Kocho's face, sharp claws digging into his neck, her mouth filled with rows of needle-sharp teeth. "The next time you want to waste my time, compile it into a report that I can be annoyed by in the comfort of my own home. It would benefit your continued good health greatly as well." She grinned, a horrifying sight in her current form. "Remember, we only need your mind."

Kocho nodded frantically, unable to breathe.

Shifting back into her normal form, Mystique opened the door on Kocho's side and threw the unresisting man out of the moving vehicle. Kocho managed to curl himself into a ball and roll with the impact, landing against the sidewalk. Rubbing his neck, he looked up to see the limo had turned around, and Mystique had rolled down her window.

"Inform me the moment the Tendo girl awakens." She said, shooting him another glare. "I want to get to the girl before Xavier." Not even waiting for a response, the window rolled back up and sped off back in the direction of the airport.

Coughing a bit, Kocho watched. "That's...my limo..." he sighed. "Aw, now da big kahuna be stranded..."

* * *

In the living room of a modest home in Caldecott County, Mississippi, a lone woman sat in silence in the early morning. 

She was a modest woman, with short brown hair. Her eyes were covered by sunglasses, and in one hand she held a cane. She appeared to be watching something, although the television wasn't on. Not that she could have seen it, of course, but she sometimes turned it on for the noise. It'd been awfully quiet in the house since her foster daughter had left.

Irene Adler had been blind for almost twenty-five years now. Ever since her X-gene had awakened, and she'd been both gifted and cursed with precognition. She could see probabilities, and experience had allowed her to interpret them with a dead-on accuracy and manipulate them to a small degree. The cane she carried merely helped her cover as a blind woman; she didn't really need it, as she was capable of seeing where objects in her path would be, and maneuver around them easily.

Right now, probabilities filled her vision. All relating to one boy.

Irene's first vision involving Ranma had come with his birth. It had been a simple thing, just knowing what they would name him. Raven had asked her to attend, so she had. She recalled Genma had been thrilled. He'd always wanted a son, as had Raven. It didn't matter to the two that they weren't in love, and the the boy was the result of the two having far too much to drink one night, and the inevitable happening.

Genma and Raven were very good friends, however, although Irene had no idea why. The two were such complete opposites. As such, the two provided Ranma with a loving family, when Raven's duties to Magneto allowed her to be present. In that time, she knew Raven had had another child, with another man. The loss of that one had been even more devastating, especially after what Magneto had done to the boy. When Magneto's demands on her time become too much, she was forced to leave the child with Genma, which Irene knew had broken Raven's heart.

Irene knew Raven loved her children, and it hurt her to have to llose one and have to leave the other. But she was ambitious, and dedicated to her cause. She had put too much into it already to give up, too dedicated to creating a world where mutants were the superior species. So she tended hold back her emotions, locking them away when she needed to.

Ranma had always been difficult to predict for Irene. Visions involving him had so many different but equal probabilities attached to them. Even his powers were like that, although she knew his X-gene had awakened, and by all logic she should be able to tell what they were. Instead, the probabilities had only diminished a bit, leaving a few very similar outcomes, each showing Ranma with very similar, but different abilities.

It was very annoying. Especially since she now expected most of her visions to behave in that same manner. She silently hoped the other precognitives in the world were as annoyed by this as she was, merely so she wouldn't have to suffer alone.

Right now, however, she was getting a very clear vision. It was one of little importance, and the lack of separate probabilities meant it was something that has happening in the present.

She let a small smile cross her face. Oh, she wished she could record these...

* * *

Ranma awoke early the next morning, his internal clock going off. For a moment, he was surprised he wasn't flying out the window. Sitting up and looking around the room in slight confusion, the events of the previous day came back to him. 

"Heh." He muttered. "That's right." Shaking his head, he got out of bed, taking a moment to pull back the curtains farther, letting more sunlight into the room. By the position of the sun, Ranma determined it was around 5:00 AM or so. Cracking his neck, and pleased to find his ki had replenished significantly (again, much faster than he'd thought it would), Ranma moved to the middle of the room and stretched a bit before beginning a standard Anything-Goes kata. Meaning, of course, he made it up as he went along, letting the Art flow through him and reacting instinctively, switching between styles and disciplines with an almost casual ease.

After about an hour and a half, Ranma stopped, wiping a bead of sweat off his brow. It wasn't as intensive as he was used to training, but he didn't want to wake anyone else. He would have gone outside, but he didn't have a key for the place and really didn't want to risk getting locked out. That would be just too damn embarrassing. He made a mental note to ask if there was a place in the mansion itself, besides the Danger Room, where he could train in the mornings.

He was about to continue, then grimaced. Xavier had told him he would be starting school today, although Ranma had no idea how he'd managed to get him signed up so quickly. He had tried to protest, saying he needed to spend the time looking for his mother, but the Professor had successfully countered each and every one of Ranma's arguments. Eventually, Ranma gave in, making sure to get Xavier's promise that he would do everything he could to try and locate his mother while he was in school.

Pulling a towel out of his pack, Ranma realized he really should have asked where the bathroom was last night. Sighing at his lack of foresight yet again, he left the room, clad only in his boxers, a towel slung over his shoulder.

It took him about five minutes to find a bathroom. Heading into the shower, he slung his towel over the shower rod and turned the water on. Undoing his pigtail as he waited for it to heat up, he silently thanked every kami he could think of that the Dragon's Whisker had worn off.

* * *

Kitty yawned, stumbling down the hallway in her bathrobe, rubbing her eyes in an effort to get them to focus. Smiling to herself, she looked out the window as she passed it. Today felt like it was going to be a good day. The sun was shining, the birds were signing. Today would be a day where she wouldn't get any homework. Today would be a day where they wouldn't have to fight those Brotherhood jerks. And best of all, today Logan wouldn't force them into combat training.

That last thought was enough to wake her up and bring her to full perkiness. Humming as she made her way to the female lavatory, she noticed the door was open a crack and steam was slowly trickling out. Rogue was still in their room, so it must be Jean. Looks like she'd have to wait for the shower, but she knew Jean wouldn't mind if she came in to brush her teeth at least. This icky morning breath was making her gag.

Pushing the door open, she took one step inside before freezing completely. Stepping out of the shower was a man. A naked man. A naked man who was frozen in shock as well. In the back of her mind she noted it was nice not to be alone in that feeling.

Her eyes roamed along his face, barely realizing that the man was Ranma. Oh, hey, he was looking right at her.

Unconscious of her mind, her eyes, made their way downward, along his smooth musculature and rock hard abdominals. His long black hair, still very wet, as was the rest of him, practically flowed down his back.

"Kitty, are ya jus' gonna stand in tha doorway al-woah."

Kitty barely noticed Rogue's presence behind her, still frozen in shock, a faint blush covering her cheeks. Rogue appeared to be affected similarly.

"Hey, guys, what are you – ohwow." Jean arrived, also clad in her bathrobe, and also now frozen in place.

Almost as one, the three pairs of eyes slowly turned their gazes lower. Kitty's blush went atomic.

Snapping himself out of his own stupor, Ranma grabbed his towel with Amaguriken speed, almost pulling down the shower rod with the force, and hastily wrapped it around his waist, his own cheeks burning red.

Jean was the first to shake herself out of it, blushing a faint pink. "Umm...Ranma?"

"Y-yeah?"

"This" she gulped, licking her lips, "...this is the girls lavatory."

Ranma blinked, slowly looking around the room, taking in the details. "Right..." he said slowly. "that would explain all the pink. And the tampons."

Blushing a deep red and hastily grabbing the back of their bathrobes, Jean pulled Kitty and Rogue out of the doorway, pulling the door shut with her telekinesis, making it slam so hard the windows rattled.

Ranma sighed in relief, hoping none of them owned mallets.

* * *

The object of their attention now gone, Kitty and Rogue quickly brought themselves back to reality. Glancing around to see if anyone had seen, the three got into a close huddle. 

"That..." Rogue said, looking back at the bathroom door. "That was Ranma in there, right? Naked?"

"Wet and glistening..." Kitty added, her eyes unfocused and a goofy grin on her face.

The three girls were silent for a moment as they replayed the incident in their minds.

Rogue gulped a bit, biting back the question she knew the other two girls were thinking.

Kitty had no such compulsion, asking them with an excited grin. "Did you guys see-"

"Yes." The other two girls said simultaneously, nodding rapidly, faint grins on both their faces.

"Wasn't it-"

"Yes." The grins got wider.

The three girls went silent again, jumping when they heard the door open behind them. Ranma stepped out, towel wrapped tightly around his waist, his hair now done up in his usual braid. Seeing them standing there, he blushed again, raising his free arm behind his head and chuckling nervously. "Heh...sorry 'bout that..." he said. Blushing brightly, not realizing how almost unbearably cute he looked in the eyes of the three girls, Ranma raced back to his bedroom.

The three girls looked at each other, then in the direction where the boy had run, then at the bathroom, then at each other again. As one they raced to the bathroom door. Rogue managed to get inside before the other too, quickly slamming the door behind her and locking it. She barely had time to breathe before a hand reached through the door, grabbing the back of her bathrobe and pulling her out the same way it had come in, an audible yelp coming out of the southern girl's mouth as Kitty phased through the door.

Grinning, she immediately turned on the shower, ignoring her housemates beating on the door as she got the water as cold as she could. Stepping into the relief of the ice cold water, her attention throughly occupied within moments. Oh yeah, it was definitely a good day!

* * *

Scott came down to breakfast with a look of confusion on his face. Seeing Evan, Kurt, and Ranma already there, he gestured with his thumb behind him. "Any of you guys know what's going on with the girls?" He asked.

Evan shook his head, pouring another glass of milk. Extending a thin spike out of his wrist and spearing several sausages, he then retracted it spike and let them drop on his plate. "No idea, man."

Kurt also replied in the negative, shaking his head as he devoured a stack of waffles.

Ranma was too busy pigging out to notice Scott had asked anything. Which is beneficial to him, as he actually knew the answer to Scott's question, and couldn't lie to save his life.

Shrugging, Scott sat down pouring himself a glass of orange juice and grabbing some food for himself. "Must be a girl thing." he said, and promptly forgot the whole incident.

* * *

Ryouga waited impatiently for his breafast to finish cooking over his campfire. He had training to get to, and didn't want to waste time waiting for his food. His meditations had helped considerably, but he still had far to go if he was going to be able to control the new high level of energy in his body. The other night he had attempted his Shi Shi Hokodan, and had quickly lost control of it. The resulting blast had thrown him back several dozen feet, depleted half his reserves, and decimated the area of the forest he was in - Redwood, he thought, which meant he was in either California or South Africa. They both had redwoods, he thought.

He didn't want to use that much power in one blast. It would take away the challenge to the fight. He didn't want to kill Ranma, after all, despite what he claimed. Just beat and humiliate him.

Feeling a familiar tingle on the back of his neck, Ryouga raised his head. "Who's there?" he asked, looking around. He could have sworn he felt someone watching him...

"Ryouga Hibiki..." A calm voice said in accented Japanese.

Spinning around to face the voice, Ryouga got into a ready stance. "Yeah, that's me. Who are you?"

The figure stepped closer, yet still remaining in the shadows of the tree it was standing under. From what Ryouga could see, it was a tall man, wearing a very odd outfit. He had on a helmet that completely obscured his face, and a long cape that the covered the rest of his body. "I am...a friend. Another like you, so to speak..."

"Another like me?" Ryouga asked, not easing up in his stance. What was that supposed to mean? "Do you have a Jusenkyo curse as too?"

The figure shook his head. "No, I am not cursed..." the figure replied, his voice echoing slightly in what Ryouga admitted was a cool effect. "You have noticed some recent...changes in yourself, have you not? New energy present in your body, making you stronger...More powerful...Better than you were before..."

Ryouga blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "How do you know about that?"

"I know, because something similar happened to me...many, many years ago..." The figure replied.

"Yeah, fine," Ryouga admitted. "I got more ki than I know what to do with, what of it?"

"You lack control..." The man continued. "Control you need to master your new powers...I can help you achieve that control you seek..."

Ryouga snorted. "And why would I need your help?"

The figure raised an arm, reveaing he wore armour the same reddish colour of his cape and helmet. His gloved fingers spread, and Ryouga's eyes widened when his cookpot rose in the air and hovered below his face. He idly noticed that his breakfast was done. "You're gifts are not the same as mine..." the figure said, gesturing slightly, the cookpot following the movement of his hand. "But the philosphy is much the same...There is a lot I can teach you..."

Slipping out of his ready stance, Ryouga raised an eyebrow. "You have my attention..."

Obscured by the shadows of his helmet, the figur smiled.

* * *

Normally, Ranma would have just ran to school. He didn't for two reasons. One, Xavier had asked him not to do anything to draw attention to himself or the Institute. Which meant, among other things, no roof-hopping in broad daylight. Not that Ranma really cared about hiding himself, but everyone else seemed very adamant about mutants remaining a secret. Something about 'humans not being ready to accept their existence.' 

Ranma supposed he understood the reasoning behind that. While being a mutant didn't bother him very much, he could see how other people might react to something new that they didn't understand – the reactions people had to his curse when they first learned of it were proof of that. That also explained why Kurt wore that image inducer-thingy.

The second reason, of course, was Ranma had no idea how to get there.

Which brought him to where he was now, sitting in the passenger seat of Scott's car, a very nice red convertible. Kurt, Kitty and Rogue were crammed together in the back, while Jean had gotten a ride with some blond guy in a red jacket.

"So," Ranma asked, "What's this school like?"

"'bout the same as any other school, I guess." Scott replied. "You got students, teachers, various social circles, horrible cafeteria food..."

"...lame classes, stupid teachers..." Rogue muttered from the back seat with a smirk.

"Hey, I like my teachers." Kitty said.

"Yeah, well yours don't keep tryin' ta get yah to see tha school counselor." Rogue retorted. "Jus' 'cause someone likes ta dress different and likes t'be alone most o' the time doesn't mean they have some kinda problem..."

"So...no fights?" Ranma asked.

Scott gave him an odd look. "Of course not."

"But what if someone attack ya?"

"If anyone attacks you, they'd, like, get detention if they're lucky" Kitty answered. "they have rules against fighting."

Ranma blinked. A school with rules against fighting? That didn't make any sense. "So...no one is just gonna attack me for a stupid reason." That sounded kinda boring.

"Well, there is the occasional bully or jerk who'll try to pick a fight.," Scott amended, thinking of Duncan Matthews, as well as the Brotherhood. "The Brotherhood goes there too. Which means you may have a confrontation with them, seeing how you're on our side."

Ranma grinned. "Brotherhood? That other group of mutants you were talking about?" That could be fun. He wondered if any of them could fight without their powers. Needed to find someone who could help him stay sharp.

"Speaking of," Rogue added, "we should tell ya that Principal Darkholme is actually Mystique, who leads tha Brotherhood. She's a shapeshifter."

Shapeshifter? Now that Ranma thought about it, technically he was too, since he'd gained a degree of control over his curse. The shower this morning had proved that water would still change him, to his surprise, but if he focused hard enough he could stop it from happening. This took even more out of him that changing without water, however. Ranma made a mental note to inform the rest of his housemates about that soon.

Scott pulled into the parking lot. "Well, here we are. Bayville High."

Ranma looked up at the school. It was...a school. That is to say large, slightly imposing, and carrying an air of depression, anxiety, and that insufferable sensation known as 'school spirit.' The latter was something Ranma had been glad Furinkan had little of.

Hopping out of the car, Ranma hefted the bag of supplies he had been given over one shoulder. Scott and the others followed as well, and the group walked into the building.

Once inside, Rogue snagged him by the sleeve. "C'mon, Ah'll show yah where you can get yer schedule." She said with a smile. Blushing a bit, she added as they began walking, "By tha way, sorry 'bout what happened in tha bathroom this mornin'. We didn't mean ta stare like that."

Ranma smiled, blushing a little himself. "Eh, no problem. Believe it or not, it happens more often than ya would believe." he rubbed the back of his head. "At least the three of you didn't go an' hit me for it."

Rogue gave him an odd look. "Hit ya?" she asked. "Why would we go an' do that? Ya ain't at fault, really. We're the ones who walked in on you."

Ranma blinked. "Huh...I thought that's how it worked..."

Giving him another odd look, Rogue decided not to ask. "Here's tha office," she said. "Jus' pop inside an' talk ta the secretary, she should be able ta give you yer class schedule. Ah'll wait out here for ya." She grimaced. "Hopefully ya won't have ta go an' see Darkholme, but they might make ya."

Ranma waved it off. "Ain't no problem." he said, walking into the office.

Rogue leaned against the wall. Damn that boy was cute. The fact that he could touch her made him extra appealing. She'd only had her powers for a few months now, but she'd already resigned herself to a life without physical contact. She'd attempted to shrug it off, convincing herself it wasn't a big deal. She'd been a loner all her life, anyway.

But no matter how hard she tried to tell herself these things, she knew she didn't believe them. She'd see couples in the school or one the street, holding hand and enjoying being with each other, and began to feel envious. They could do something she couldn't, and many of them took it for granted.

But now this new boy was here, and threw all those previous conceptions out the window. She could touch him, and her power to drain life and memories had no effect. Her mind started to drift back the conversation she'd had with Kitty the previous night.

* * *

"He's cute, he's nice, and best of all, he can touch you!" Kitty exclaimed excitedly, snuggling her stuffed dragon to her chest. "You should so totally go for it!" 

Rogue rolled her eyes as she slipped into her night clothes. Honestly, the others didn't have roommates, why did she? The moment the two had entered the room to go to bed, Kitty had started going on about how she and Ranma were perfect for each other. "Kitty," she said, "Jus' 'cause Ah can touch him don't mean we're some kinda 'fated star-crossed lovers.'"

"But Rogue," Kitty pouted. "How do you know that?"

"Ah don't." She replied, getting into bed. "But jus' because Ah can touch him don't mean anything. Heck, this jus' means there have t'be other's out there Ah can touch. Besides, Ah've only known him a day."

"I still think you should do it," Kitty said, turning off the lights. "Even if it doesn't work out in the end."

Rogue rolled over, turning her back to Kitty and pulling the covers up to her face. "Whatever."

* * *

Kitty had been right though. The boy was very attractive, with a body to kill for - especially with what she had seen during that little bathroom accident this morning. And Rogue could admit to herself that she found him quite appealing, even with what little she knew about him. But she didn't think she was really ready for a relationship at the moment, especially with a boy she barely knew. Just because she could touch him didn't mean they were compatible in that way, and she damn sure wasn't going to enter into a relationship purely on hope or desperation. Friends, though, she would like. And maybe if something happened later on...

"Friends, fer now," she said to herself softly.

"Didja say somethin'?"

Rogue almost jumped, her head shooting up to see Ranma had come out of the office, schedule in hand. "Huh?" She said intelligently, "Oh, no, jus' talkin' ta mahself."

"Ah, cool." Ranma said, looking down at his schedule, then handing it over to her. "I'm not so good at readin' English." he admitted. "I don't got no idea what most of this means."

"Well, lucky you then," she said with a smile, looking it over. "Yer first class is English, with Ms. Brant. Ah'm in tha same class, Ah can lead ya right on to it."

"Lead the way," Ranma said with a smile as the two started walking.

"So'd ya havta see Darkholme?"

"Nope. The secretary said she was outta town on business or somethin'."

Rogue frowned. "Mystiques probably off tryin' to recruit someone else fer th'Brotherhood." she speculated. "Which means another idiot we havta put up with."

Ranma grinned. "That should be fun. Hope these 'Brotherhood' guys are some kinda challenge."

Rolling her eyes, Rogue couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm in his voice. "What is it with you an' fightin'?"

"Hey, when ya spend ten years of yer life trainin' for one thing, ya tend to develop a taste for it." Ranma replied, flashing his trademark grin. "Pops trained me t'be the best, and there ain't no way ya can be the best without enjoyin' what yer best at."

Rogue smirked. "So yer an adrenaline junki jus' like Logan."

Ranma chuckled. "Can't deny it." He admitted. "There's a certain thrill ta fightin', especially an opponent who outclasses ya. Those kinda fights just make ya strive ta be come better." He flashed an arrogant grin. "Course, there ain't anyone out there better'n me."

"So is martial arts an' fightin' all ya think about?" She asked as the reached the classroom.

"No...I got other interests." he replied.

"Like?"

"Uh...well I like...um...food..." Ranma racked his brain to come up with other interests. "And uh...manga...and..." he glanced over at Rogue. "Does teachin' martial arts count as martial arts?"

Rogue nodded, privately amused by Ranma's attempt to prove his life extended beyond martial arts.

"Damn." Ranma struggled to find more to add to his depressingly short list of interests, then sighed in resignation. "Okay, fine, I ain't got a lot of interests outside of the Art."

Rogue smiled and gave him a wink. "Well then, Ah guess Ah'll just havta help ya find somethin' else to be interested in." With that, she walked into the classroom, taking her seat in the back row of desks.

Ranma scratched the back of his pigtail nervously as he followed her in. What exactly did she mean by that?

* * *

At the top of the Bayville watertower, a lone figure crouched, peering through a pair of binoculars. He was a tall, muscular man, with long dirty blond hair. He wore an odd outfit in neutral colours, the most prominent features of which was a long ratty cape and an odd pair of shoulder guards. 

Sabertooth snarled, revealing prominent canines as he panned the binoculars throughout the city. He knew Wolverine was somewhere in this dump, and he wouldn't rest until he found him. His enemy had managed to avoid him thus far, the last time with the help of those two punks, but he refused to give up this hunt. He would get his fight with Logan, the fight he'd always wanted, with only one of them walking away for good. "One shall die by the other's hand..." he growled softly.

His eyes widened and he quickly turned the binoculars back in the direction of the local high school. He could've sworn he saw...Yes! The blue furred punk from last time! One of the two kids who interfered in his fight with his enemy. He was hanging outside a third floor window, talking with some blond haired kid holding a video camera. He didn't know or care who the blond boy was, but he knew the blue kid could lead him to Wolverine.

He snarled as the boy vanished in a puff of smoke. Oh, right...the kid could teleport. That would make him incredibly difficult to track. Not impossible, but very difficult...

Lowering the binoculars, Sabertooth snarled. He didn't want to waste time tracking down that punk. The other boy, though...obviously, he knew the blue punk was a mutant, which likely meant he was as well. Which meant he could also lead him to Logan, or could be used to draw Logan out.

Standing, Sabertooth leaped off the watertower, a plan forming in his mind.

* * *

Ranma glanced down at his schedule again and groaned. After English, Rogue had led him to his next class, which had been American History, something Ranma had a passing interest in at best. To pass the time, he'd attempted to get some sleep, which was aided by the dull droning voice of the teacher, but every time he closed his eyes for a few seconds, he was rudely awakened by the old man. 

And now, he had to find his way, alone, to Biology, another class he could care less about. These stupid American schools used an entirely different setup than the ones in Japan; instead of the teachers moving from room-to-room while the students stayed put, it was the other way around, meaning he had to navigate his way through this massive building. And he had only five minutes before the bell rang. He really did not want to have to hold any buckets.

He was about to give up in defeat when a soft voice to his left spoke up. "Need some help, cutie?"

Turning his head, he saw a very pretty girl, a few inches shorter than him, with long blond hair done up in an elaborate braid running down her back. She wore a tight light purple t-shirt that cut off above her stomach, and a short dark red skirt. Her vibrant green eyes had a playful gleam to them as she regarded him, holding her schoolbooks under her admittedly impressive bust.

"Uh, yeah." He said, holding up his schedule. "I ain't got no idea where the heck I'm s'posed ta go."

"Let me takes a look," she said, brushing his hand as she took hold of his schedule. After a second, she looked back up to him with a smile. "Biology with Hendrickson, third floor. I'll lead you there, my class is right next to it." she smiled at him, grabbing his shirt sleeve as she started walking.

She continued talking as Ranma followed along. "You're new here, I take it?" she asked. Seeing him nod, she continued. "Duh, of course you are. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of this place eventually. It may seem complicated, with such a large campus and all, but it's remarkably easy to find your way around after a few days. So where you from?"

Ranma blinked. Damn, this girl seemed to like talking. "Uh, Japan."

"Really? That is so cool!" She gushed. "I've always had a thing for Japanese culture, y'know? What brought you to Bayville? Are you a foreign exchange student?"

"No, I just needed a change of scene." Ranma lied, falling into the cover story he had agreed on with Xavier. "I got an invitation to the Xavier Institute, an' decided 'what the heck, could be fun.'"

"The Xavier Institute? So you know Jean Grey and Scott Summers and all those other guys? You speak English really well."

Ranma struggled to keep up. This girl switched topics faster than he could keep up. "Uh, yeah...me an Pops traveled around a lot when I was a kid. Went ta a few English-speakin' countries for a while, 'n Pops said it'd be a good idea ta learn the language." He frowned, muttering. "Wish he'd thought the same thing 'bout Chinese..."

"That's so cool! I wish I could travel more, but my parents don't really like to. I want to see other countries really badly. Oh, hey we're here." She said the last part with a tone of slight regret. Ranma looked and saw they were outside a classroom marked with a number that was the same as the one on his sheet.

The girl bit her bottom lip and looked up at him shyly, twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger. "I guess this is where we part then," she said. "I hope I see you around. I'm Melinda, by the way."

"Ranma," he said, introducing himself. He smiled back at her, not noticing the sharp intake of breath or the faint blush that coloured her cheeks as he did.

She smiled. "Nice to meet you, Ranma." She bit her bottom lip, then continued. "If you like, after this period I could show you to the cafeteria..."

Ranma smiled again, and again failed to notice as her blush deepened a little. "Sure, that'd be cool." he replied, walking into the room.

Melinda sighed as she watched him go before turning around and walking into the classroom across the hall, a smile on her face and a spring in her step.

* * *

"I vas expecting Ranma to eat vith us," Kurt said, eying the new addition to their team, who was currently sitting a few tables away with several girls. 

Scott smirked. "Obviously, Melinda managed to get her hands on him. You see the looks on the other girl's faces? She's already staked her claim."

"Probably, like, couldn't get a word in edgewise to disagree." Kitty said, frowning slightly. That girl was so going to mess up her plans to get Ranma and Rogue together! "You know how that motormouth is."

Rogue said nothing as she glared daggers at the blond girl. She didn't know her, but for some reasons she knew she didn't like her.

Evan grinned as he held the digital camera his Social Sciences teacher had given him up to his eye. He had been given the chance to do a video report on current events, from his viewpoint, to help raise his grade. Focusing in on Ranma with the four girls who were fawning all over him, he then slowly panned the shot to the look on Rogue's face. Heh this was even better than the scene with her, Kitty, and that other guy in the hall earlier. Her jealousy was so obvious. Idly, he wondered what that thing in the hall was all about. If Rogue liked the new guy, why had she gone off on Kitty like that about Jason? Oh well, at least she didn't seem to notice he was filming her this time...

Kurt sighed. "You see how all those girls are looking at him though? He's been here a day, and those four girls are practically hanging all over him."

Scott snorted. "Take a closer look, Kurt. He's far more interested in his food than he is in any of them. I doubt he's even noticed." Scott gave his own food a disgusted look. How could Ranma eat this horrible cafeteria slop, let alone three servings? He even seemed to be enjoying it!

For some reason, Rogue perked up a little bit hearing Scott say this. She spent the next several minutes wondering _why_ exactly that perked her up.

"Yo, Evan, you've had five milks already! You don't need to steal mine!"

* * *

Several tables down, Ranma looked forlornly at his now-empty tray. The food wasn't the best, but compared to what Akane used to try and make him eat, it was practically ambrosia. Glancing over at his housemates, and seeing they still had food, he excused himself from Melinda and her friends, who's names he couldn't remember, and made his way over to the other X-men. 

Scott smirked as he saw Ranma approach. "Get tired of your fan club?"

"Huh?" Ranma asked in confusion. What did he mean by that? "Nah, they're alright. I just felt like comin' over and talkin' ta you guys." He eyed Scott's tray. "You gonna eat the rest of that?"

Scott pushed his tray over to the pigtailed boy. He wasn't very hungry anyway, and last night's dinner and this morning's breakfast had showed him Ranma's stomach was a bottomless pit. Far be it for him to let a teammate starve.

"Thanks," Ranma said with a grin as he dug in. "So what happens after classes today? Any kinda trainin'?" He could go for another run in that Danger Room.

Kitty groaned. "God I hope not. Logan's, like, a slave driver when it comes to that sorta thing."

Ranma snorted. Whatever Logan put them through, he doubted it'd hold a candle to some of the methods his old man had thought up.

"So, Ranma, how do you know Melinda?" Kurt asked.

"She helped me find my third period class." he said absently. "You gonna finish that?" He asked, pointing to the half-eaten Salsbury steak on the German mutant's plate.

Kurt shook his head, pushing it over to him. "Nah, you can have it. I'll just grab a Buger Bomb after school." Kurt practically salivated at the thought of the admittedly unhealthy fast food. Rogue had forced him to go without yesterday, and he was definitely going to make up for it today.

A few tables away, another group of young mutants were eying the new guy.

"Who is that?" Lance asked, watching the new guy with the X-men through narrowed eyes. He was a mischievously handsome yet grungy boy with long brown hair. He was leaning back in his chair, wearing his usual black shirt, brown vest and torn jeans. "Did the X-geeks recruit some new loser?"

"Aw, man." Todd whined. "That's seven against four, they totally outnumber us now!" he sulked slightly as he perched on the edge of his chair, looking ready to use his powerful leg muscles to leap away if any trouble started.

Pietro snorted, dismissing the guy. "He doesn't look like much. Bet I could take him alone." Inwardly, he was more annoyed at the amount of attention the guy had received from those four hot girls earlier. He was the pretty boy of this lame school, used to the girls flocking to him. This new guy was busting in on his turf! "It won't matter, anyway. Mystique didn't came back last night, which means she's probably getting us another teammate too."

"Ooo, man, I hope it's a chick, yo. A hot one. Way too much testosterone in the Brotherhood house." Toad grinned.

"Wonder what his power is," Blob said, paying more attention to his food than the new guy. "No way a puny loser like that could be stronger than me."

Lance snorted. "Probably something dumb. We could jump him after school and find out if you want." He didn't really care. Nothing was cooler than creating seismic tremors. They'd find out soon enough, anyway.

"Nah, man, CSI's on tonight, remember?" Toad said, idly snagging a fly with his tongue. He knew it was gross, but he didn't really care. It tasted better than the cafeteria food.

Lance blinked. "Oh, yeah. Tomorrow then." No way he was gonna miss CSI. That Catherine Willows chick was hot.

* * *

Sabertooth grinned maliciously as he finished recording his message on the kid's camera. He'd waited until he'd left the school, then snagged his camera. The kid had made the mistake of actually recording Logan going through the gates to some large mansion, and now he knew exactly where his prey was hiding.

Setting the camera on the ground, he climbed up the nearest building in time to avoid the kid as he came running around the corner. Soon, he'd get the fight he wanted. He'd left a little message on the camera letting Logan know he was coming directly to him.

He was a predator, and the hunt was always more rewarding when the prey knew he was coming.

* * *

Evan sighed in relief as he found the camera undamaged. He'd been recording himself doing some awesome tricks on his board when suddenly something had thrown him off balance and head first into a trash can, causing him to lose the camera. 

Retracting his spikes back into his arm, he turned on the camera and looked though the lens to make sure it was working properly. Panning the view up the way he'd come, he was just in time to see Toad hop into view.

"S'up Daniels?" The other mutant greeted with a wave.

Evan scowled, lowering the camera. "What do you want, Tolansky? I'm busy here."

Todd hopped down closer, perching on the edge of the last step of the stairway that led down to where Evan was. "Nothin'. Saw the new guy at your table at lunch today."

Evan smirked. "Who, Ranma? What about him?"

Todd shrugged, acting nonchalant. "Jus' curious about him. You guys got three more than us, thought I'd get a little info. What can the loser do?"

"He can kick your guys' butts for one thing." Evan taunted. "With him around, you're powers are nothin'."

Todd frowned. What the hell was that supposed to mean? He grinned. "No matter, yo. We'll find out eventually. I heard about your little movie, by the way." he flipped through the air, landing on a window ledge two stories up. "I wanna be in it." Backflipping and doing some admittedly impressive acrobatic work, followed by sliding down the railing and landing in a pose, he looked up at Evan. "Style, charisma, the Toad's got it all, yo. Start shootin'."

Evan rolled his eyes as he got back on his skateboard. "Dream on, Tolansky." He said, kicking off. "I got way too much respect for my craft."

"Aw, man," Toad whined. "I'll never be a star now." he looked at his watch and quickly hopped off. "Aw, yo, CSI's startin'. No time for that stupid movie anyway."

* * *

"Hey, Kitty! Wait up!"

Kitty sighed, stopping and turning around. "What do you want, Lance?" she asked.

"Nothin'," Lance replied nervously. Why did this girl always make him so flustered? "Just saw you, wanted to say hi."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Like, I'm so sure." she said sarcastically. "You were going to ask me about Ranma, admit it."

"No, no," Lance lied, "I swear, I just wanted to say hi." So the kid's name was Ranma. "But now that ya mention it..."

Kitty smiled flirtatiously, leaning in slightly. "Nu-uh, Lance, I'm not going to tell you anything. You're just going to have to wait and be surprised." she giggled she turned around, running to meet Scott at his car.

Lance let out a sharp intake of breath before turning and walking awkwardly to his jeep. Maybe he could get a cold shower in before CSI.

* * *

"There it is..." Ranma muttered as he approached his locker. It had taken him almost twenty minutes to find it, and everyone else had left already, leaving the hallways completely empty. "Took damn long enough t'find it."

The rest of the school day had been much like the first. Which is to say, boring and completely irrelevant to his life. Although for some reason he had found his Physics class interesting enough to stay awake. The stuff about movement and velocity, while he didn't understand the equations, was easily relatable to martial arts. Phys Ed had been fun too. Melinda and Kitty were in that class with him, so at least he knew people. The former had been thrilled to see him again, which was puzzling. It'd only been a few hours, not like he'd been gone for weeks on end

Working the combination, he managed to get his locker open after three tries. Putting his books inside, he shut the door, and idly glanced at the silver-haired boy that had been standing behind it. "Hey," he greeted absently.

Pietro blinked. The guy had known he was there? "Hey," he replied, smirking. "Pietro Maximoff. Saw ya with the loser squad at lunch today."

Ranma shot the guy a curious look. Boy talked faster than that Melinda chick. "Loser squad?"

"Yeah, the X-men." Pietro responded casually. "That tehcnically makes up enemies, y'know."

"Ah, so that means you must be with that other group." Ranma replied in understanding. "The Botherhood or whatever."

"Brotherhood," Pietro corrected, not giving in to the guys taunt.

"Cool. Looks like we'll be fightin' sometime then." Ranma replied with a grin. "Should be fun."

"Yeah, if you like getting thrashed." Pietro taunted. "So what's your power?"

"What's yours?" Ranma retorted, smirking. He was moderately surprised when the boy suddenly vanished from sight.

"I asked you first."

Turning around, Ranma raised an eyebrow. Guy was fast. "Super speed, huh?" his arm lashed out at Amaguriken speed, grabbing the other boy's wrist. "I got some of that myself."

It took Pietro a few seconds to realize what happened. Normally, this wouldn't be too odd, but Pietro's super speed worked on more than just a physical level. It effected every aspect of him, from his metabolism to his thought processes and reaction time. So when it took him a few seconds to realize what happened, he got a little freaked. Invoking the powers that were his by birth, he attempted to pull his arm out of the boy's grip, and got his second surprise when he found he couldn't move fast enough to break the hold. He couldn't move fast at all, in fact. "What the hell?"

Ranma grinned. "Wouldn't you like to know." he said, releasing Pietro's wrist.

Pietro tore his arm away, relieved to find his speed returned once the boy let go. "Huh." He said intelligently. staring at his wrist. "What's your name, kid?"

"Ranma. Ranma Saotome." He introduced himself with a bow. Grinning as he righted himself again, he continued. "Looks like ya might be pickin' up on it." he waved his fingers around. "One little touch, an' your powers don't mean nothin'."

Pietro smirked arrogantly, dashing to Ranma's other side again. "That's a cute little power, but you gotta be able to catch me to use it. And I don't think you got the speed."

Ranma's smirk widened as he shouldered his pack and began to walk away. "Sounds like a challenge." he said over his shoulder. Pietro felt a touch of deja vu at the statement. "Like I said, could be fun."

Pietro watched the kid walk off, smirking himself. He kinda liked the kid. Too bad he was on the other side. Turning away, he poured on the speed. CSI had started, but he wasn't worried. He'd be back at the house before the opening credits.

* * *

"Hey guys," Ranma said as he approached Scott's car, hopping into the backseat between Rogue and Kurt.

"Hey Ranma," Scott greeted from the driver's seat with a wave. "How was your first day?"

"Ranma shrugged. "Feh. Pretty boring. Couldn't find my way around that place. Took me forever ta find my stupid locker. Ran inta one of the Brotherhood guys, though. That was kinda fun." he said with a smirk.

"You did?" Scott asked as he started the car, "Which one? You didn't get into a fight or anything, did you?"

"Nah, jus' talked," Ranma said. "The fast guy. Pietro, I think his name was. Seems like a cool guy."

Rogue shot him an odd look. If this boy kept surprising her, her face was gonna stick like that. "Quicksilver? He's an arrogant jerk."

Ranma blinked. "Quicksilver? I thought his name was Pietro."

"Quicksilver's his codename," Kitty explained from the passenger seat. "We all have them."

Huh. The name made sense, now that he thought about it. The guy was quick and had silver hair. "Codenames? Why do ya need those?"

Scott blinked behind his shades. That was a good question. "Yeah, codenames." He replied. "They usually relate in some way to our powers. Mine's Cyclops, 'cause when I'm in uniform I wear a visor. Makes it look like I got one eye."

Ranma blinked again, raising an eyebrow. "Uniforms now? I don't do uniforms."

"Vhat's wrong vith uniforms?" Kurt asked. He liked his costume.

"Yer gonna need one if yah wanna go on missions, Ranma." Rogue addd with a smirk. "Otherwise ya ain't gonna get ta go. Which means no fightin'."

Ranma winced. "Fine, I'll do the uniform." he gave in. "But I ain't usin' no codename."

Rogue grinned. "Sure thang, Void."

"Hey, don't call me that!"

Scott smirked. "Void. I kinda like that."

"You void other mutant's powers," Kurt said, joining in on the teasing. "Mein freund, it's perfect!"

"I said don't call me that! I ain't usin' no stupid codename!"

His continued protests were drowned out by the laughter and teasing of his friends all the way back to the mansion...after a quick stop to fulfill Kurt's Burger Bomb addiction.

* * *

End Chapter Three

* * *

Well, that's that chapter. I would have had this up last night, but my internet connection went out, and didn't come back until this morning. Which is fortunate, in a way, 'cause I was able to add several more pages to the chapter, as well as get a decent start on the next one.

As some of you may have guessed, this chapter takes place during the episode Spykecam, as will the next one. I do plan to go through the Evolution series, although I'll be ignoring some episodes. not because I don't like them, but episodes like Grim Reminder and Rebirth have only a few of the characters in them, and I thought it'd feel lame to throw Ranma in to those plots just for the heck of it. The events in said episodes will still happen, but it'll be off-camera.

Ranma's codename. I may not stick with Void, especially since the nullification isn't actually his primary ability, although I do plan to give him one, just to annoy the guy. I'm open to suggestions as to what it should be. If I get enough good ones, I may leave it up to a vote. Or not. We'll see.

I thought I'd answer some of the more recurring questions I've been getting in the reviews. Ranma's ability to speak English was explained in the first chapter, and again in this chapter. Yes, this means I made Ranma's training trip extend past Asia. Other authors have done it, so there's precedent. Also, recall that there's more to Genma in this story than just him being Ranma's father. He's an unwilling servant of Magneto, and he knows Ranma will be involved in the human-mutant conflict in some way. That's the whole reason he trained Ranma as hard as he did. With that in mind, it would make sense to have him learn English as well. Ranma's interests (as of current, at least- I plan to change that) extend little beyond martial arts, but I don't recall anything in the original series about him not caring to learn anything else. That's my reasoning and I'm sticking to it.

Ranma's cursing. After re-reading the previous chapters, I agree with the reviews on that. I mainly put it in to show how crudely Ranma speaks, but I admit it is rather out of character. So I'll be toning it down quite a bit. 

Last of all, I gave (what I consider) a rather large hint as to Ranma's actual powers in this chapter. More hints will be coming, but it won't be "officially" revealed for some time yet. Feel free to make guesses, though. I like seeing what some of you have come up with so far.

Oh, yeah...in case anyone was wondering, the Shinkasa family from the first chapter were not merely a plot device to get Ranma to Bayville. They'll be showing up in later chapters as well. Not for a while, though.


	4. Chapter 4

A brief warning. The ending of this chapter contains large amounts of WAFF. Well, it did for me when i wrote it, at least. Also: HOLY CRAP! Over 12,000 words in this chapter alone! They just keep getting bigger and bigger!

* * *

**Evolution 1/2**

* * *

Disclaimer: Whattaya know, my own X-gene has just become active, and has given me the power to claim ownership to intellectual properties I don't own! Properties like Ranma 1/2 and X-Men: Evolution!

* * *

Chapter Four

* * *

Ranma eyed Logan from across the dojo, wondering what was going on in the older mutant's head. His own combat-oriented mind was registering everything about the other man, taking in each and every subtle movement, tracking his breathing, noting where his muscles were tensing. Already he was playing out the battle in his mind, running through every possible opening Logan could make based on what he was currently seeing. He himself was in his standard non-stance, hands in his pockets with a relaxed posture. It was designed to intentionally lure the foe into a false sense of security, although he knew Logan wasn't falling for it.

Logan had met them at the door when they'd arrived at the mansion after school and had immediately taken Ranma aside. The younger boy wasn't surprised by Logan's request for a sparring match. He could see it in the guy's eyes every time he looked at him since their first meeting in the alley. The guy wanted to test himself against him, and Ranma was fine with that. This wasn't a grudge match of any kind, just two martial artists testing themselves against each other.

Ranma didn't know how good Logan was, although from the man's build and the way he moved Ranma could tell he had extensive training. The markings on the belt of the man's gi indicated that he was at least ninth-dan in some style, although that didn't mean anything. Ranma himself would have high-level dan rankings, and in some cases, Grandmaster status, in several styles if he'd ever bother to take the tests. They had agreed right away that no powers would be used, although in both cases it wasn't something they could control. Logan's healing abilities - which Ranma would have loved to have, as they sounded dead useful - were always on, just like Ranma's nullification. His claws, though, would not be drawn, and Ranma had promised not to use any of his special maneuvers, just to make the match a real challenge. Pure hand-to-hand.

While Ranma was making his assessment of Logan, the older mutant was doing the same of his opponent. He'd seen others use similar stances in the past, and knew what it's intention was. Logan ignored it, knowing the kid was far more capable than he his stance was meant to suggest. Logan had no illusions that he would be winning this fight, not unless he got lucky. he could already tell Ranma was faster and more skilled than he was, although he had the advantage in strength and endurance. Since his healing factor would be in effect the whole time, which meant Logan would have an unfair advantage if this was a knock-out fight, he had suggested another idea. The Danger Room's current program was designed to emulate a fighting game; each of them were given a set number of 'hit points', and the first one to zero would lose.

This wasn't a fight to prove who was superior, after all. It was merely two experienced martial artists testing themselves against each other, for the fun and thrill of the fight they both shared.

Proving superiority would merely be icing on the cake.

Deciding to end the staring contest Logan sprung forward, leaping into the air and extending his foot out in a kick. Immediately, Ranma dodged to the side, grabbing Logan's extended foot and re-directing his momentum, sending the older man into the wall. To Ranma's surprise, as he threw him, Logan's other foot snapped back to strike him the in the side of the head, knocking him to the ground.

Rolling with the blow, Ranma sprung to his feet in time to dodge Logan, who had ricocheted off the wall and sprung back into a tackle. lipping back as he avoided it, Ranma rushed in, throwing a series of speedy blows to Logan's midsection. The man took the brunt of the attack, retaliating with a savage knee to the boy's stomach.

Ranma flowed into the attack, grabbing the leg in his stomach by the shin and flipping himself over Logan, pulled the older man with him into a slam against the hardwood floor of the simulated dojo. Flipping back as the older man jumped to his feet, the two stared at each other, identical grins on their faces.

"Had enough, old man?" Ranma taunted

"Was about to ask you the same thing, pigtail." Logan retorted.

The brief exchange ceased as the pair leaped back into the battle, the warm-up over as they both kicked it up several notches.

* * *

Up in the control room, Scott, Jean, Evan and Kitty watched the fight between the two martial artists. Rogue had retreated to her room as soon as she had gotten home, taking the opportunity to practice with the soundtrack of the school play Kitty had bought. Kitty knew Rogue had only decided to audition to one-up her, which was fine by the younger girl. She'd only baited the goth girl as part of her ongoing plot to get her to open up and get involved with other people. 

"Okay," Evan admitted as he recorded the fight with his camera. "The guy definitely has the skill to go with the ego."

A puff of smoke and a bamf indicated Kurt's arrival. "Who's vinning?" The blue furred mutant asked as he munched on the popcorn he had ported in with him.

Scott looked over to the 'HP Display'. "Ranma, it looks like." he said after a moment. "It's pretty even, though."

Silence reigned for several minutes as they continued to watch the fight, the only sound coming from Kurt's noisy eating.

The two looked to be evenly matched, although the young mutants admittedly didn't know much about martial arts. Logan had been training them for some time now, but even Scott, the furthest along, didn't have the finely honed-combat senses the two fighters in the Danger Room did. The group would have been shocked if they realized just how much both were actually holding back.

The silence was finally broken by Kitty. "So...like, what do you guys think of him."

"He reminds me of Logan," Jean replied, eyes still on the fight.

"Brash and arrogant, yet confusingly bearable and likable regardless?" Scott asked with a smirk.

"Exactly," Jean said with a smile.

"Rogue likes him," Kitty said with a smirk. "She's, like, so denying it though."

Scott thought about that for a moment. "How can you tell?"

Kitty rolled her eyes. "It's like, so obvious. Didn't you see the total jealousness she was shooting at those girls he was sitting with at lunch?"

He hadn't, actually, too amused by the whole situation to notice anything else. It made sense, he supposed. Ranma was the first guy Rogue was capable of touching since her powers activated.

Evan snickered, lowering his camera and pushing the rewind button. "Yeah, I got it on tape actually. Check it out." he said. Finding said scene, he showed the rest of them on the views creen. The slightly blurry image soon resolved, showing Rogue leaning on the table, head on her hands, an angry and slightly jealous look on her face in the direction of the table Ranma had been at for the first half of lunch.

Kitty smiled victoriously. "See?"

Fast forwarding the camera aback to where he was before, not noticing a part he hadn't recorded himself show up for a few seconds, he put the camera on 'record' again and resumed taping the match still going on in the Danger Room.

"So..." Kitty said conspiratorially, leaning into the rest of the group. "How are we gonna get them together?"

The other teens blinked, sharing a glance. "Woah, back up." Scott said. "What do you mean?"

"I mean hooking them up!" Kitty exclaimed. "It would so be good for Rogue! She, like, needs someone she can be close to."

"Uh, count me out of this." Scott said, waving his hands in front of him. "I wouldn't feel right getting involved in either of their personal lives."

"Yeah, same here." Jean said. "Rogue's love life is her own business." Evan and Kurt nodded in agreement.

Kitty pouted. "Oh, fine...I'll just do it all myself then." she humphed, turning back to watch the fight just in time to see Ranma hit Logan with a vicious uppercut. A buzzing reverberated through the room and the dojo simulation faded away.

"Looks like it's over," Scott said, eying the console. Sure enough, Logan's health bar was down to zero, Ranma having managed to win just barely, his own health bar having a scant 'fifteen points' left.

"Aww, man, Kitty!" Kurt whined. "You caused us to miss most of the fight!"

"No worries, man." Evan said, turning off his camera. "I got most of it on tape. We can watch it later."

* * *

Back in the Danger Room itself, Ranma offered Logan a hand, helping the older man up to his feet. "Good fight, old man." he said with a grin. 

Logan smirked. "You were holdin' back, pigtail."

"So were you."

"Yeah, but not nearly as much as you were." Logan said. Sure, he'd lost, but it was one of the best fights he'd had recently. "You got some real skill, kid."

"Of course," Ranma said arrogantly. "I am the best, y'know."

Logan chuckled. "Sure kid, whatever ya say." he headed towards the door. "I gotta talk to the Prof about somethin'."

"Cool," Ranma said, following him out. "I'll catch ya later, old man."

* * *

Nabiki sighed as she got ready for bed. Ranma had better send her more money if he expected her to keep up this charade. The boy had only been gone a few days, and already his various girlfriends and rivals were trying to get her to find him. She was able to make some decent money giving them false information, but she was beginning to wonder if 30,000 was worth the trouble of keeping them from him for a whole month. Not that she really knew where he was. She hadn't bothered to try and track him down, knowing Cologne and possibly Happosai probably had means of making her talk against her will. 

At the moment, the Amazons and Ukyo were in Okayama, hunting for some shrine she'd picked at random and claimed Ranma was kiding at. Mashiki or something it was called, she hadn't bothered to remember it. She had most of the deception planned out already, and almost envied the whirlwind tour the various fools would get to embark on, while she stayed her in this crummy house, making money for a family that didn't even appreciate her efforts.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. Damn headache. Popping an aspirin, she flopped down into bed.

Kuno had been pestering her for more pictures of his 'beloved pigtailed girl', forcing her to go into the back-up stash of pictures. Luckily the fool was too dumb to realize she'd been selling him the same pictures she had already sold him several months ago. When he'd started ranting about how Ranma had stolen the pigtailed girl and fled from his wrath, Nabiki had merely tuned him out. As long as the boy had money, he could hold on to whatever delusions he wanted.

Surprisingly, her father had remained relatively calm throughout all of this. Sure, he had cried almost non stop the first day, but then Uncle Saotome had sat him down and had a private talk with him. Nabiki didn't know what words had been exchanged, but it had been enough to make Daddy calm down. He still went into infrequent bouts of weeping and moaning about how the schools would never be joined now, but they were becoming fewer and farther between.

Nabiki snorted. Joining of the schools, her hot ass. It was never gonna happen, and she knew it. Within a month of knowing the boy, she knew he'd never marry any of them and just settle down to a quiet life of teaching at the dojo. The kid was an adrenaline junkie, way to used to the open road to ever stay in one place for the rest of his life. While he seemed to enjoy teaching at the Shinkasa dojo for the past few months - something she wholeheartedly approved of, as it brought a little bit more income into the house, and thus did everything she could to help him keep it - she knew he would never be happy just doing that.

She liked the kid, she had to admit. Not in that way, of course, but he was sort of like an annoying little brother. Not that she'd ever let him know that, of course. She had a reputation to uphold.

Thinking back to the idea of Ranma never staying in one place, she started thinking about her own life. She knew damn well that she wasn't going to stay in this little district long, conning fools out of money to support her family. She'd been doing it for nearly twelve years now. Only a year and a half of school left, and she'd be out of this dump. If they didn't know how to fend for themselves by then, it was there problem, not hers. She had too much planned for her life to keep having to provide for them.

That and she wanted to actually be able to keep the money she earned, and buy things for herself for a change.

Rolling over, and wincing slightly as the pain in her head flared, Nabiki soon drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Genma..." 

Genma sat up in his futon at the sound of the deceptively calm voice. Putting on his glasses, he answered. "Hello, sir." he replied, just as calmly. He'd sensed the other man's presence long before he had made it known. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I recognized your handiwork, Script..." the voice continued. "You've made an admirable attempt to hide the boy from me..."

Genma rolled his eyes. "Erik, my name is Genma, not Script. I don't know why you insist on using those ridiculous names. And yes, I did alter every record I could get my hands on to hide Ranma from you."

"Do you have an explanation for why you have done such a thing?"

"Because he's my son, and I don't want him falling into your clutches." Genma replied calmly. He knew it was a bad idea to speak in such a way to ones master, especially when said master had implanted various pieces of metal in ones body that he could use his powers over magnetism to manipulate, and thus cause one pain, but he didn't care at the moment. Genma admitted he was a coward in many regards, but when it came to his son, he would defy even Kami-sama himself if need be. "You know I've never cared for this war of yours with humans. I want Ranma to make the choice himself which side, if either, he chooses to be on."

"Yes, Script..." the voice continued, a hard edge entering it's tone. "You have made your foolish choice of neutrality clear many a time...But keep in mind, I am still your master..."

Genma held back a grunt of pain as he was suddenly pulled upwards by the shoulders. Hovering in midair, his arms pulled painfully behind his back, he refused to let Magneto see the pain he was experiencing. "Yes...you are, for all the good it's done me."

"Where is the boy?" the voice demanded.

"I don't know," Genma answered truthfully. Unable to hold back a wince as the pain in his arms intensified, he continued. "He left several days ago. He found out where Raven is, and has gone to find her."

"Interesting..." his master replied, "I'm surprised you let him go...You fully realize Mystique is dedicated to the cause...She will sway the boy to my side..."

"I doubt that, sir." Genma replied, "Ranma is headstrong and not easily coerced. He believes in protecting the weak when possible, and I doubt he will find that your... ideas... mesh at all with his own." He left unsaid that he and Raven had come to an agreement on the matter of their son. They would allow him to choose his own side in the coming conflict, as much as she wanted him on hers. Admittedly, she had made the deal reluctantly, not wanting to run the risk of being at odds with her own child, but she had made the deal. And while she may be sneaky and deceitful by nature, like he himself, he knew Raven would never betray his trust.

The voice was silent for several moments. "You still defy me, Script..." it said finally. "Despite what you know I can do to you, you continue to defy me... You are fortunate I find such backbone admirable, if foolish..." Genma slowly lowered to the ground, the pain in his arms fading slowly. "And you are also fortunate I still have use for you..."

"That fills me with never-ending joy to hear that, sir," Genma said sarcastically, then winced as the pain suddenly flared again.

"Do not test my patience too far, Script..."

Genma grimaced. "I apologize, sir." he said, not meaning a word of it. "Is there anything else you wish to know or require of me?"

He was answered by silence,. Moments later, he felt the presence of his master vanish completely. "I thought not..." he said, lying back down on his futon.

* * *

Rogue was sitting alone in her room, reading through the script of the play she had managed to obtain. The part she was trying out for was one of Dracula's concubines, and since Kitty had taken back the CD of the soundtrack to practice the dance moves for it, she figured she may as well learn what few lines she had. 

Her practice had gone along alright, she supposed. It wasn't the kind of dancing she was used to, and to be honest she really didn't know why she was trying out for the stupid play to begin with. But when Kitty had said, even without using the exact words, that she didn't have a hope of getting cast, she had just felt the overwhelming urge to prove the girl wrong.

A knock at the door broke her out of her reverie. "It's unlocked," she called out. The door opened to reveal Logan, clad in his gi and smelling of sweat. "Didja have a fun match with Ranma?" she asked.

"Yeah," Logan grunted. "The kids, got skill. Managed to barely eke out a win, although I know he was holdin' back a lot."

"Ya don't seem too disappointed by that."

"Nah, not really," He responded, "We were both more in it for the fun of the fight. Ain't no fun if ya completely overpower yer opponent from the get go. Whatcha up to?"

"Reviewin' tha lines fer this play," she said, holding up the script, the cover of which read 'Dracula: A Rock Opera'.. "Ah'm thinkin' of tryin' out."

"Huh," Logan grunted, "Mind if I talk t'ya for a minute?"

"Sure," Rogue said, setting the script down. "What's on yer mind?"

"Actually, I'm a bit more concerned what might be on your mind," He said. "In regards to the pigtailed kid."

"What about him?"

"I'm just wonderin' if you had any intentions towards 'im," Logan said bluntly. "He's the first guy you've been able to touch since ya got yer powers."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Why does everyone think Ah've got somethin' for the boy?" she asked. "Yeah, Ah can touch him. Yeah, Ah like him. And yeah, Ah think he's cute. But Ah ain't ready fer a relationship right now, especially not with some boy Ah jus' met. Down tha line, maybe. Right now, Ah'm jus' gonna be his friend. The fact that Ah can touch him jus' means there havta be other mutants out there with powers like his, so it ain't like he's mah only hope."

Logan smirked. "That's all I need to hear." he said, turning and walking out of the room.

Rogue smiled. At least one person was willing to accept what she said.

* * *

Mystique arrived at her home - and her team's 'base of operations'- in the late afternoon. Her mood was not the best. First, Kocho had given her nothing she could bring home with her, and then, her plane had been denied take off for several hours. 

When she walked through the door, currently in her Principal Darkholme shape, she saw her team lounging about, eyes glued on the TV. Oh great, CSI was on. She didn't know what those boys saw in that show.

"Is this all you fools have to do with your time?" She asked irritably, glaring down at them as she shifted into her natural form.

"Hey, we like this show," Toad replied from his spot on the bean bag chair. "So'd you bring us a new playmate? I don't see no one with ya."

Mystique growled. "No, that fool gave me nothing but potentials. You won't be gaining another ally for another few weeks at the least."

"Well that's just great," Fred muttered from his couch as he ate from a large bowl of chips. "That's means we're still outnumbered, since the twerps got that new guy."

"Well, technically Blob, you count as three people, so we're actually on even footing." Lance teased with a grin, ducking under friend's swipe.

Mystique narrowed her eyes. Xavier had another one? "What new guy?" she asked.

"You didn't know about it?" Lance asked, "I thought you were on top of these things."

Mystique growled, causing Lance to flinch. "What. New. Guy." she repeated, biting off every word.

"Some kid named Ranma," Pietro replied. "I talked to him, he actually seems pretty cool, for one of them."

The blue-skinned woman's eyes widened significantly. "What? Did you say Ranma? Did you get his last name?"

"Yeah, Saotome." Pietro answered, tearing his eyes away from the TV to glance at her. "Why, you know the name?" he flinched as Mystique put her fist through the wall.

"Ranma has been here all along..." she growled, "And Xavier got him first?"

"Appears so, yo." Toad replied, snagging a chip from Fred's bowl with his tongue.

Mystique rubbed the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache coming on. Ranma had chosen his side, and she hadn't even had a chance to try and win him over to hers. And the deal she'd made with Genma meant she had to respect that. "What are his powers?" she asked. "Please tell me you were smart enough to find that out."

Pietro smirked, "Sure did," he replied. "I'm not sure exactly what he can do, but he seemed pretty fast and strong. Not as fast or strong as me or Blob, but more so than a human. But the main thing was, when he grabbed my wrist, I lost my speed."

"You lost your speed?" Mystique repeated, "For how long?" Were his powers like Rogue's, but without the energy or memory drain?

"Only as long as he was keeping contact." Pietro said. "Like I said, though, I didn't get the full extent of his powers. For all I know, he could make the effect last longer if he wanted."

Mystique sighed, sitting down in an empty chair. She ignored the looks the boys gave her, not caring if she was acting differently than they were used to, or that it might be scaring them.

"What's the big deal, Mystique?" Lance asked. "His powers don't seem all that impressive."

"Were we supposed to get this guy?" Fred asked.

"I had hoped to," Mystique said tiredly. "And it still might be possible. Try and convince him, but if he turns you down don't press the issue too much. And don't ask me why, just do as I say." She added, cutting off the question she could see forming on Toad's lips. "And his powers could be very useful, actually, but his true worth is in his combat ability. He's spent over a decade training all over the world in one of the most demanding forms of martial arts by an extremely gifted teacher. The man who taught me, in fact." She left out the most important reason she wanted him on their team, because he was her son.

The Brotherhood shared a look. They knew Mystique was a highly skilled fighter, which was one of the reasons they were as afraid of her as they were, despite their powers.

"And I have no doubt Xavier will have him training the rest of the X-men soon." Mystique added, glaring at the boys. "Which means, in order to keep up, I will begin training you. Every morning, five am sharp, you will be awake and ready. You do not want me to have to get you out of bed myself."

The boys gulped at the unspoken threat in her voice.

Standing up, Mystique made her way up the stairs. "I'm going to bed," she declared. "Any one of you make a single noise to disturb me, and you will not need a dictionary to know the exact definition of pain."

Collapsing onto her bed, Mystique stared blankly up at the ceiling. If she had only remained here, instead of going to meet that fool Kocho, she may have had a chance to bring her son onto her side. But she had made a deal with Genma, and she would not break it. If Ranma did not want to be on her side in this matter, it would hurt, but she would not force him. She only hoped Xavier and his brats had not soured her son's view on her already.

She had already lost one child, Ranma's younger half-brother. She winced at the painful memory.

She wouldn't be able to bear it if her other baby didn't want anything to do with her.

* * *

The next morning, Ranma awoke early and headed out into the backyard of the mansion to train. The previous night's practice with his shape changing had been easier than before, and had again taken less ki to complete. He was at the point now where he barely felt a drain on his reserves at all when he activated the shift. What's more, he had been able to do it almost every time. The more he did it, the easier it seemed to get. While this was somewhat puzzling, he didn't think too much on the issue. Why look a gift horse in the mouth, after all? It was another martial arts technique, in a way, and he always learned those fast. 

Shifting into a few Capoeira maneuvers, he failed to notice the extra pair of eyes that watched him, too engrossed in his kata to pay complete attention to his surroundings.

Xavier was, by nature, an early riser. He enjoyed the quiet of the morning, using the time to think about random things or enjoy a few chapters of his current book with a nice up of tea. Sometimes Logan would join him, more often to get a morning adrenaline kick by going through one of the field training courses.

This time however, when he arrived in the back yard, he saw his newest charge already awake and practicing his martial arts. It made him smile, seeing the boy so dedicated to his Art. Not wanting to bother him, Xavier pulled out his book and began to read quietly, occasionally looking up to observe the boy.

His physical abilities were truly remarkable. His movements flowed like water, and to Xaviers admittedly untrained eye, his form appeared flawless. He could hardly believe it was not the result of the boy's mutation. As it was, he was still not convinced the null effect and the immunity to telepathy were the full extent of the boys gifts, but he had no source on this to go by than his own instincts. Cerebro couldn't tell him however, as whatever made the boy immune to telepathy apparently made him immune to the powerful computers complete scanning. If the boy agreed, he would have him tested with other methods. After he got settled in, of course.

"Good morning, Charles,"

Xavier glanced to his right to see a tall Japanese man wearing a dark blue t-shirt and jeans. He had medium length black hair tied into a small ponytail in the back, and a pair of thin eyeglasses. "Good morning, Tofu. We have not seen you are these last few days."

Tofu chuckled as he took a seat on the ground next to Xavier. "I apologize for that. I was in the infirmary, mediating on my... problem... and completely lost track of the time."

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "For two full days?"

"Like I said..." Tofu repeated with a smile. "Completely lost track of the time."

Xavier chuckled. "Have you made any progress?"

Tofu sighed. "Very little, I'm afraid. But I'd would prefer not to talk about it. Tell me, what has been going on with the students? I've noticed no one coming in with any new injuries, so I trust things have been well?"

"We've had a new addition to the Institute," Xavier said with a smile, gesturing to the boy a ways away, still caught up in his practice. "A young man by the name-"

"Ranma?" Tofu said, a look of pure surprise on his face.

Xavier blinked. "Yes...Ranma Saotome. Do you know him?"

"I...I do." Tofu replied, adjusting his glasses. "He was one of my patients in Nerima, before I left my practice to join you here. I must say, I never expected to see him again, let alone as a student."

Xavier nodded. "Yes, Ranma was not recruited as per our normal methods. He is in town in search of his mother, who he has determined is in the area. Cerebro detected the activation of his X-gene shortly after his arrival, a few odd coincidences occurred, and he ended up here. He has agreed to join the Institute while we helped in his search."

"Amazing," Tofu said, sipping his tea. "It truly is a small world. What are his gifts?"

"Ranma has the ability to negate other mutants powers with direct skin contact." Xavier replied. "He also appears to have an immunity to telepathy which I believe is related to the nullification effect, but it not restricted to physical contact. Which means, old friend," Xavier said with a smile, "that yours healing powers will not be able to effect him."

"Interesting," Tofu said. "he's gotten a lot better." he commented, watching Ranma as his practice intensified. "He's always been skilled, since I've known the lad, but he's improved by leaps and bounds since I left Nerima. I'd love to hear what new adventures he's had in that time."

"Well, he appears to be finishing up," Xavier said with a smile. "and since the school is closed for the day due to a teacher's conference, you should have plenty of time to speak with him."

Ranma finished his kata slowly, allowing himself to cool down. Removing his shirt, he picked up his towel and wiped the sweat off his face as he turned around. Blinking in surprise, he noticed he had a couple of observers, and to his even greater surprise, one of them was someone he knew!

"Doc?" Ranma said incredulously, running forward. "Doctor Tofu? What tha heck are ya doin' here?"

Tofu smiled. "It's good to see you again too, Ranma." he replied. "I'm one of the instructors here, as well as the resident physician."

"When did ya get here? An' why haven't I seen ya around tha mansion?" Ranma asked.

"This is where I came after I closed my practice in Nerima," Tofu answered. "Charles is an old friend of mine, and he asked me to join him here at the institute to help with his students a few months ago."

"Huh," Ranma said intelligently. "But what about..." he trailed off, giving the doctor a knowing look.

Tofu chuckled nervously. "That's another reason I came here. Charles is helping me with my... problem... in that regard, although so far I haven't made much progress." Smirking as he pushed his glasses up, he asked. "And what of your... problem, Ranma? Have you managed to find a cure for your curse?"

"Ah, yes, your curse." Xavier interjected. "You mentioned it when we first met, but I have yet to see it. If you would not mind showing it to me, that is."

"Yeah, no problem Professor." Ranma said. "I ain't found a cure yet, but I found somethin' almost as good. I can control it now, although water will still make me change." he paused, then added nervously. "I should warn ya, though, doc, it's not quite the same as it used ta be."

"Remember where you are, Ranma," Tofu said with a smile. "We're all used to strange here."

"Right," Ranma said, chuckling. "Okay, here goes." Closing his eyes, Ranma focused on his female form for a moment while channeling his ki. Opening his eyes as he felt his body shift and change, Ranma looked over at Xavier and Tofu.

Xavier raised an eyebrow in surprise, holding back a more shocked look with great effort. Ranma's female form looked almost exactly like a teenage Mystique. At first, he feared this might be Mystique herself trying to infiltrate the Institute, but immediately discarded the idea. If that was the case, Cerebro would have picked up on her specific mutant signature. What's more, she wouldn't have simply revealed herself like this. However, another thought occurred to him, this time in regards to Ranma's original reason for coming to Bayville. If this meant what he thought it did...he would have to look into it, but he felt he may have a new lead on who and where Ranma's mother was.

Sparing a glance at Tofu, Xavier sent the doctor a telepathic message. _'Tofu, please do not say anything about Mystique. I may be able to find Ranma's mother sooner than I thought, if my hunch is correct, but until then...'_

Tofu nodded almost imperceptibly, sending his thoughts back to Xavier in reply. _'I agree, Charles, but once you find out for certain I expect you to tell him...'_

Ranma chuckled nervously at their silence, rubbing the base of her pigtail. "Yeah, tha blue skin is different, and I think tha hair might be a bit more redder than before."

"It is quite a surprise, Ranma," Tofu admitted, still a bit shocked at the uncanny resemblance to the shapeshifting leader of the Brotherhood. "But with the likes of Kurt around here, you not the only blue teenager on the premises."

"Indeed," Xavier added. "I can only assume that the change to your appearance is a result of your mutant gene becoming active. It might be a good idea to fit you with an image inducer similar to Kurt's, just in case it you get hit by cold water in public and can't change back in time." He thought for a moment, then added. "I'm sure Forge will be able to create an inducer that will activate when your mass shifts during the change."

Ranma nodded, shifting back to his birth form while idly wondering who this 'Forge' person was. "That would probably be a good idea, yeah." He glanced around, then added. "I hope ya don't mind me keepin' it a secret from tha others for a bit. I'm not really comfortable with people knowin' 'bout it."

"I understand, Ranma," Xavier said kindly, "Although I hope you will feel comfortable enough to tell them soon. Now, I suppose the two of you have a lot to catch up on?" he asked, "I hope you don't mind if I listen in. I'm curious myself about the adventure young Ranma has had before he joined us here."

Ranma shrugged. "I don't minda ya listenin' in, Professor, but won't it havta wait 'til later? It's a school day."

"Actually, Bayville High is closed today for a teacher's conference."

Ranma blinked. One day at school and he already had a day off? "Cool," he said, grinning. "Then I s'pose we don't gotta wait." Ranma sat down on the bench across from the pair and began to relate to them his experiences over the past few months.

Unbeknownst to the trio, a fourth pair of eyes had been watching the exchange. Even if they had known they likely would have thought nothing of it, as said pair of eyes belong to a raven hidden in the branches of a nearby tree. The raven shot the boy a look of slight longing (which no one but an experienced ornithologist might have been able to recognize as longing), and flew out of the tree and in the direction of Bayville High.

If anyone had been looking into the mind of the raven, they would have come across some very coarse thoughts regarding teacher's conferences and having to keep up ones cover.

* * *

Ryouga growled at his 'instructor.' "I'm trying, damn you!" 

"You are not trying, boy..." Magnus, as the man had introduced himself, replied. "You are failing..."

Ryouga frowned. The past several hours had been non-stop instruction, with the exception of a brief period of time that Magnus had reportedly 'needed to take care of some business' and had allowed him to sleep.

He'd been given a reason for why his ki reserves had made such a dramatic leap in so short a time. Apparently, Ryouga was a mutant, like the man himself. The man had gone on to talk about how 'mutants' were the next stage of human evolution, and how they were destined to take the planet as their own, blah blah blah. Ryouga didn't care. He didn't even know if he believe this guy when he said he wasn't human. All that mattered was he was helping Ryouga learn to control his 'powers', and with that control, he'd be able to beat Ranma. So he put up with the man. For now.

"Your energy responds to your emotions..." Magnus continued, repeating what he'd said numerous times already. "As well as increases them... When you are angry, in amplifies your anger... That amplification is what is causing you to lose control... So what do you have to do to gain control?"

Ryouga rolled his eyes, gritting his teeth and answering with the same thing the man had told him earlier. "Control my emotions." he growled.

"And rid yourself of emotion..." Magnus added, "Emotion is a human weakness, and you are beyond human now...So you should be beyond such human weaknesses..."

The way the man said the word 'human' tended to grate on Ryouga's nerves, but he didn't say so. Apparently, the man had a major grudge against the planet's dominant species. "That's a lot easier said than done," he retorted. Rid himself of emotion? That sounded way too much like The Soul of Ice, and that was one of Ranma's techniques - okay, technically it was Amazon in origin, but Ranma used it, so it counted - and he'd be damned if he was going to use one of his rival's methods.

Grolwing slightly, Ryouga slipped back into his meditations. Controlling his emotions was hard enough - he knew he had a tendency to let them get the better of him; it was one of his favourite tactics in fact. Let his rage build and augment his strength, use his depression to fuel his Shi Shi Hokodan. But to make himself completely blank, to not feel anything? That was damn near impossible for the Lost Boy.

_'But still...'_ he thought to himself as he slipped back into meditation, _'if Ranma can do it with the Soul of Ice, I can do it better...'_

* * *

Ranma smiled as he entered his room, wearing only a towel and freshly showered, kicking the door shut behind him with his foot. It had been great catching up with the doc and letting him know what had been going on in Nerima. He'd made certain not to mention Kasumi the entire time, tip-toeing around her name when incidents involving her came up. He was also glad the Tofu hadn't asked at all about Akane. He really didn't want to recount how their relationship had gone so far downhill in the past few months, to the point where they were barely able to be remain civil to one another. 

Shaking his head to get rid of the unwanted thoughts, Ranma noticed a package sitting on his bed. Curious, he opened it to see a folded section of red fabric. "What the heck?" he muttered,taking it out of the box and unfolding it completely. "Oh, crap..."

A uniform. He knew they'd be giving him one, yet he'd hoped to avoid it for as long as he could.

Sighing, Ranma made sure the door was locked before dropping his towel. "May as well..." he muttered.

Five minutes later, Ranma was standing in front of the mirror on the door of his wardrobe. "Okay," he admitted, "This ain't that bad."

It was skin-tight spandex, but not uncomfortably so. Whoever had made it had apparently guessed his sizes correctly, as well as his preferred colourscheme. It was red and black, like his usual outfit, but in one piece. The black started at the bottom, splitting into red when it reached his waist. Along the far right end of his torso, the black continued up, covering the aforementioned area of his torso as well as his right arm. The res to it was the same red as his Chinese shirts. Where the red met the black on his chest, the former colour cut into the latter, creating a red X above his right pectoral.

Also in the box were a pair of bracers. One was black, which he wore on the red sleeved arm, and the other was red, which he wore on the opposite arm. A pair of comfortable black boots completed the ensemble.

Best of all though, in Ranma's opinion, was the built-in crotch protector.

Grinning to himself, he had only one thought. "I make this look good."

Striking a few poses, and glad no one was watching him do so, Ranma idly wondered how the suit would do him in a fight.

His musings were cut off by a loud, repetitive noise reverberating through the mansion. Was that an alarm? It sounded like an alarm. Which meant he'd get to test this suit out sooner than he thought.

Bolting from his room, Ranma was joined by Kurt and Rogue as they ran down the hall.

The fussy blue boy glanced at Ranma "Hey! Nice costume!"

"Yeah, thanks," Ranma said. "Wish it wasn't so tight, though. Feels like I'm naked."

Rogue made no comment, as she was trying very hard not to stare at Ranma's butt as they ran. Damn that boy had a nice ass!

* * *

_**Several Minutes Earlier**_

Logan dropped Evan to the ground with a snarl, taking the digital camera out of his hands. He'd been running through the training course in the backyard with Cyclops, getting a good workout in with the boys free day, and this lughead had skated onto the course and nearly gotten himself split in half by a flying buzzsaw. And what's worse, he'd been taping it all on that stupid camera of his! At least that could be taken care of, with a simple push of the 'erase' button.

"Aww, man," Evan groaned. "Why'd you do that?" He'd been getting some wicked cool shots of Wolverine and Cyclops running through the training course. Sure, he'd almost been killed by flying implements of pain, but sometimes you had to put yourself in danger for the sake of your art, right? He flinched under Logan's glare.

"Let's just say you got on my bad side." Wolverine replied, opening the view screen on the digital camera. "Now, lets see what else you got on this thing." Pressing play, he saw a brief image of himself at the gates of the mansion before a brief burst of static cut it off, soon replaced by the face of one of the people Logan hated most in the world.

"Thanks for showin' me where Logan is kid," The recording spoke. "I owe ya one." The man leaned into the camera and growled before it cut off into static once again.

"Who the heck was that?" Evan asked in surprise from where he was watching over Logan's shoulder. He'd never recorded that!

Logan growled as he thrust the camera back into the boy's hand and walked away. "Sabertooth..."

"He's got old issues with Wolverine," Cyclops said from behind him. "And it looks like you let him know where he is!" Both boys looked towards the mansion as the alarm started blaring.

"Ya think?!" Logan growled, clenching a fist and popping out his razor-sharp claws.

* * *

_**Present Time**_

Ranma, Rogue and Nightcrawler had met up with Storm, Jean, and Shadow (Ranma refused to use her full codename) outside the front door. Storm and Jean immediately took to the air as the doors opened, the former manipulating the wind currents around her, the latter using telekinesis.

Ranma glanced up at the two women enviously. '_They can fly,'_ he grumbled mentally as the group ran outside. '_Why can't I fly? Stupid nullification, keepin' me from flyin'...'  
_

Up ahead, he could see Logan, Scott and Evan, the latter the only one not in uniform, standing in front of a large man with a mane of dirty blond hair. Reaching them he could see Wolverine with his claws extended.

"He's mine." Logan growled in a dark tone, to which the larger man responded with a guttural snarl. Lunging in with a punch, the larger man's arm was blocked by Wolverines, as was the other. Ranma was about to leap into the fray, despite knowing that Logan was the type who preferred to fight his own fights, when he heard Storm interject.

"No!" She declared in a regal tone, lifting her arms up into the air. "This is not the place for your private war!" From the sky above her, a bolt of lighting shot out, striking the large man in the chest, pushing him back several feet and away from Wolverine.

Growling in pain, Sabertooth struggled forward against the winds that followed, slowly making his way towards his hated foe until suddenly he was blasted back again by a red beam of concussive force emitted from Cyclops visor.

Ranma watched as a bench, another lighting bolt and more red beams struck the man before he had a chance to get up.

Growling in rage and smoking slightly from the lighting, Sabertooth turned away and began to run, declaring angrily. "This isn't over, Logan!"

Logan growled and ran after him, despite Storm's protest, leaving the rest of them behind.

Ranma frowned. He hoped all the fights weren't like that. How was he supposed to get in close if they kept firing off their powers at the opponent? Bad enough they were all ganging up on one guy. Glancing over at the others, he asked the obvious (to him) question.

"So...uh...who was the angry guy?" he thought for a moment, then added. "I mean, the angry guy I didn't know?

* * *

Evan stared at the digital camera in his hands as he reflected on what he'd heard eavesdropping on Logan and the Professor. This was all his fault. He'd unintentionally led Sabertooth here, and now the whole Institute was in danger. Logan had said Sabertooth would probably try and take one of them hostage to draw Wolverine out into the open! 

"Man, this stupid thing has caused nothin' but trouble since Vandemeer gave it to me." Evan muttered. And he'd been so excited about the video project too.

"Nah, ain't yer fault." Evan looked up to see Ranma leaning against the opposite wall.

"How do you figure that?" Evan asked, "Sabertooth found out where Logan was because of my camera."

Ranma waved off the other boys excuse. "Ain't like you intended that ta happen. It was an accident, plan n' simple."

"Yeah..." Evan said. "Still... I gotta find a way to fix this."

Ranma shrugged. "Well, if ya want my help, just ask." He pushed off the wall and began walking away.

Evan looked at the camera, then back at Ranma. "Hey, Ranma, wait a moment."

"Yeah?" Ranma asked, turning around.

"I got a plan," Evan said. Ranma blinked. That was fast. He opened his mouth to say so when he was cut off by two arguing girls walking down the hall.

Evan grinned, running up to the pair with a questioning Ranma in tow. "Hey, girls, would you mind helping me with something important?"

* * *

Sabertooth watched the gates to the mansion, a look of rage on his face. Logan wasn't playing fair, letting those weak friends of his help him out. This was supposed to be a one-on-one fight between the two of them! No outside interference! 

Now he had to sit and wait for Logan to show himself. Or better yet, one of those kids. A hostage, like he had thought before, would be exactly the thing to drive Logan into the open.

He waited, his eyes never leaving the gates. Someone had to come out sometime, and when they did, he'd be ready.

* * *

Ranma ran alongside Evan on his skateboard and Rogue and Kitty on their motorbike-thing, easily keeping pace with the vehicles. Evan's plan wasn't bad, he'd admitted to himself. Go somewhere out of the way, act like they thought they were safe, then when the big angry guy came along, jump him. 

Best of all, he'd get to fight the guy. His blood boiled in anticipation. He hoped the guy had some skill, not just muscle and rage.

Evan mentally reviewed his plan. It wasn't very complex, not especially brilliant, and carried great risk of them all getting hurt or worse. But if it succeeded, they'd get off with just being grounded. And he knew if they didn't do something, the consequences could be far worse than either of those two scenarios.

* * *

Sabertooth grinned maliciously as he watched the four kids exit the gates. Logan was making this way too easy.

* * *

"Stop right there, bub." 

Scott looked to see Logan coming down the stairs. "Just going out for a burger. Want me to bring you back somethin'?"

"No ya ain't." Logan growled. "With Sabertooth out there, none of you are to leave the premises. It's too dangerous, and I don't want ya fighting him. Where are the others?"

Scott thought for a moment, understanding that Logan wanted the guy for himself, for whatever 'personal issues' the two had between then. That didn't mean he liked it. "Kurt 'n Jean are upstairs, I think, but Rogue and Kitty took off with Evan and Ranma a little while back."

"What?!" Wolverine snarled, his claws extending with an audible 'snikt'. Turning around, he headed for the door. Ranma he wasn't worried about, although he might have trouble if Sabertooth fought to kill. But the other three...

"Wait, I'll come with you," Scott said.

"No!" Logan barked. "Yer stayin' here. Look after the others!" Damn kids, disobeying his instructions! If Creed didn't kill 'em, he'd do it himself!

* * *

Ranma attempted to look as unimpressive as possible as Evan filmed Kitty and Rogue. This was the hardest part of the plan. If he looked like he could fight, Sabertooth might not fall for the bait of several helpless kids out alone. He was sitting cross-legged behind the CD player with a bored expression on his face, turning the device on and off when asked as the girls danced to the music. 

Actually, the hardest part was the waiting. It was so damn boring! He wanted to fight this guy, dammit!

To occupy his time, he watched as Evan got Rogue to use her powers on Kitty. He hadn't been paying any real attention as to why. Something about getting the latter's dance moves. Blinking as he watch Rogue touch Kitty for a brief second, he almost rubbed his eyes to make sure hw wasn't seeing things. He could have sworn he saw some ki transfer between the two...

Both girls shuddered from the experience. "Like, that was totally icksome!" Rogue exclaimed. Realizing what she said, the goth girl made a face. "Aw heck, did Ah just talk like her?"

Ranma snickered, causing Rogue to turn around and shoot him a glare. "Oh, quiet you."

Ranma put on his best innocent face, as if to say 'Who, me? Did I say something?'

Rolling her eyes but smiling slightly, Rogue turned back to Evan, who turned on his camera and started filming. "Alright, action!"

Ranma pressed play and watched as the girls danced, Rogue performing Kitty's moves perfectly this time, the bodies of both girls swaying provocatively with the music._ 'Okay, maybe this part of the plan isn't so bad,'_ Ranma thought to himself as he watched the girls dance in front of him. Damn, Rogue had a nice ass!

Seeing something move in his peripheral vision, Ranma glimpsed Sabertooth in the brush behind Evan. Shooting Evan a glance, and seeing the other boy nod in return, Ranma shifted position just slightly, preparing himself to move at a moment's notice.

Evan continued filing the girls as if nothing was going on. Ranma had given him the signal, indicating that he'd seen Sabertooth, which meant the bait had worked. Now it was only a matter of waiting for their prey to take it all, hook, line and sinker.

They didn't have to wait long, as Sabertooth leaped out of the brush for Evan's unprotected back. Evan spun on one foot, falling down backwards. Sabertooth grabbed him by the shirt, hauling him up in the same manner Wolverine had earlier.

"You're mine, kid!" The animalistic mutant growled, then glared down at the boom box.

Ranma flipped back as Sabertooth stomped on the cd player, crushing it. Landing on his feet, he prepared to leap into the fight as Sabertooth lifted Evan into the air.

Off to the side, Rogue slipped off her glove.

Evan glared down at the man holding him. "You're right on time," he said as he extended numerous razor-sharp bone spikes from his arms and torso. "Gotta be sharp if you're gonna mess with the Spyke."

_'Nice line,'_ Ranma thought absently as Sabertooth threw Evan into Rogue, causing the both of them to fall to the ground.

Sabertooth growled, charging at the other girl. Any one of them would do as a hostage, he didn't care which. "I'll take you then!" he snarled, leaping at her.

Kitty cringed, activating her powers and causing Sabertooth to pass right through her. "Right, like that's so gonna happen." She said sarcastically.

Sabertooth pushed himself up, snarling in rage and glaring over at the pigtailed boy. That one. He looked weak, and Sabertooth was getting impatient.

Ranma stared at the larger mutant, stepping back and feigning fear. _'C'mon, charge...charge...'_

Sabertooth charged. Ranma held back a grin. _'Perfect.'_ Ranma held his ground, waiting for the last possible moment. When Sabertooth was practically upon him, he suddenly side-stepped, grabbing the larger man by the wrist and redirected his attack, throwing Sabertooth into a tree. Not giving him any time to catch re-orient himself, Ranma leaped in with a kick to the back of his head, flipping back and kicking off his back.

Sabertooth practically howled in rage. Screw hostages, that kid was dead! Pulling himself out of the tree, he snarled. "Big mistake, kid."

"Prove it, ugly," Ranma taunted. Sabertooth growled and charged again. Ranma held back a snort. This guy was all muscle and rage. Ryouga without the skill. Ducking under the charge, Ranma delivered an upwards elbow strike into the man's sternum, followed by a leg sweep, knocking the man both off his feet and the ground.

Not pausing, Ranma followed Sabertooth into the air, delivering an Amaguriken to Sabertooth's ribs. They'd told him this guy had healing powers like Logan, which meant he didn't have to pull his punches near as much as usual. Keeping him up there as long as he could, Ranma didn't let up as he rained hundreds of blows on the man in a matter of seconds.

Sabertooth howled in pain and rage, swatting at the kid with his claws. Ranma easily dodged the attacks, wrapping his legs around the larger man's waist and twisting his body into a backflip towards the ground, releasing the leg-lock one-hundred and eighty degrees into his spin and sending the man flying through the air and into yet another tree, landing on his feet facing in Sabertooth's direction.

Sabertooth spun and landed against the tree feet-first, cracking it as he propelled himself off of it back at the punk. Ranma lashed out at the last second with a vicious snap kick to the face, breaking the man's nose and knocking him onto his back, striking him with several more kicks in the side as the man went down.

Growling as he felt some blood drip down his face, his nose already healing, Sabertooth pulled himself to his feet, snarling angrily as he again charged the boy. "You'll pay for that, punk!"

Ranma snorted, dodging the charge. "Sorry, don't got no money. I might be able ta get ya an IOU, though." Dodging several swipes of the raging mutants claws, Ranma fired off a snap kick into the mans jaw, then leaped back, preparing a Moko Takabisha as he did, firing it off into Sabertooth's chest. Following directly behind it, Ranma didn't give him a chance to regain his balance as he pummeled him with a constant barrage of high-speed kicks and punches.

"Too slow, ugly." He taunted.

Behind the fighting pair, Rogue came to underneath Evan. Staring wide-eyed at the fight, she silently crept up behind Sabertooth, her bare hand extended.

Sabertooth could barely keep up with the brat that was wailing on him. Every attempted slash was redirected with ease. How could a kid be this damn good? His mind grew more feral as anger consumed him, lifting his arms up to slam them down against the boys head in a killing blow as his berserker rage took him over...

...then suddenly left him as he felt a soft touch against the back of his neck. His eyes widened in shock as he howled in pain.

Rogue pulled her hand back as Sabertooth collasped to the ground, his energy drained. Letting out a moan of despair as he hands, arms and legs suddenly sprouted fur, her hair growing several feet in length, and her boot tearing open as more claws emerged from her toes.

Ranma stepped away from the prone form of his opponent, breathing hard but grinning widely. That was fun! And Wolverine got to fight this guy all the time? He began to realize how much he was gonna miss Ryouga. Hopefully the pig would get lost enough to find him; he needed more fights like this.

"Picking on kids, Creed?!" An angry voiced yelled. Spinning on one heel, Ranma turned to see and enraged Logan charging in to the clearing, claws bared, then suddenly stopping dead as he saw his foe unconscious on the ground, already taken care of. "Guh?"

Ranma flashed Logan a grin and held his fingers up in a 'V'. "I can see why ya like fightin' this guy, Logan!" he declared. "Sorry ta hog all tha fun."

Logan blinked, eyeing Evan as he pulled himself off the ground and helped Kitty to her feet, retracting all his spikes. "You took him down by yerselves?" Logan asked dumbly, shock and a small amount of respect in his voice.

Rogue shrugged. "Ranma did all o' tha fightin'. Ah just touched him." she replied, her voice carrying a slight growling tone to it. She winced at the sound. "Aw man, mah voice." Looking down at her legs, her eyes widened in dismay. "Aw man, mah legs! Ah jus' shaved 'em last night!"

Logan looked over at Evan, his eyes narrowing. "You planned this, didn't ya Porcupine?"

"Kinda. Sorta. Yeah." Evan replied weakly, rubbing the back of his neck. Damn, Auntie O was gonna kill him for ruining another shirt!

"Well don't do it again!" Logan snarled, poking Evan hard in the chest. "You coulda all been killed! And don't give me that hurt pupppy-dog look, half pint." he told Kitty. "Yer grounded."

Ranma frowned. "He wasn't all that tough. Guy had no skill."

Logan shot Ranma a glare. "He woulda killed ya and thought nothin' of it, pigtail. Yer grounded too." he glared at Evan and Rogue. "Yer all grounded."

Evan sighed. He knew this would happen. "For how long?"

Logan knelt down, hoisting Sabertooth up onto his shoulders. Sighing, he looked at the kids. He didn;t want to admit it, but they'd done a damn good job. He was more upset that they'd disobeyed his orders and put their lives at risk, not to mention butted in on his fight. "I dunno." he finally said, his tone carrying a twinge less anger than before. He gestured towards Rogue. "'Til she-wolf there get's a haircut, at least."

Rogue frowned, letting out an annoyed grunt at the nickname.

Ranma grinned, not really understanding what 'grounded' meant. He thought it had something to do with planes, which didn't make any sense in this context. "So what's gonna happen ta big ugly there?" he asked, stretching his arms back behind his head as he followed along next to Rogue.

"Yeah," Kitty added, "Scott said you two got like, some major bad history between you."

"He and I got unfinished business," Logan answered, not saying anything more.

"Cryptic," Ranma muttered.

"What's gonna happen to him?" Rogue asked, wincing again at the sound of her voice. She couldn't wait til this wore off!

Logan thought for a moment. "He'll get a little coolin' off time." he finally answered.

Ranma whistled a bit as they continued back to the mansion. "So, Logan..." he said. "What's with the weird pointy mask?" he grinned obliviously at the glare he received while the others tried to stifle chuckles.

"Shaddup, pigtail." He turned his head away. "Nice job with Sabertooth, by the way. Wish I could seen that fight. But," he growled. "Creed is my enemy. Unless I ask for yer help, don't butt inta my fights ever again!"

"No prob." Ranma said absently.

* * *

When they arrived at the mansion, Logan headed off to find Xavier, telling the kids to go to their rooms, his tone leaving them with a good idea of what would happen if they disobeyed. 

As the four of them walked up the stairs, Ranma glanced over at Rogue. "Y'know..." he said.

Rogue glanced back. "Yeah?" Damn, she hated this voice. Her beloved southern twang was muffled by the scratchiness of it!

"The hair, claws, and slightly pointed ears? They don't really work for ya." He shot her a smile. "But the long hair looks pretty damn good on ya."

Rogue blushed slightly. "Are ya sayin' Ah don't look good the way mah hair normally is?" she accused, a faint smile belaying and actual accusation in her words.

"No, no," Ranma replied defensively. '"Ya look good normally too. I'm jus' sayin' the long hair works for ya, s'all" He turned as they reached the top of the stairs, heading for his room.

Rogue smiled faintly as she watched him for a moment, before turning and heading down the hallway into the girls dormitory. Kitty grinning widely as she walked beside her.

"He liiikes youuuu." She said in a sing-song tone.

Rogue rolled her eyes, but her smile remained on her face.

* * *

Sabertooth groaned as he awoke, shaking his head in confusion. "Where am I?" he muttered, "Can't...remember..." He pulled himself off the ground and started staggering away in a random direction, somehow completely missing the large black jet that hovered over the Arctic wasteland. 

Looking down at him, a stoic expression his face, Charles Xavier watched him walk off. He'd removed the location of the mansion from Sabertooth's mind to prevent this from ever happening again. Turning his chair around as the entry closed, the jet sped off into the distance.

If they had remained a moment longer, they would have heard. "And why do I feel the need to beat on some punk with a pigtail?"

* * *

The residents of the mansion sat down in front of the big screen TV in the media room. A week had passed since the Sabertooth incident, and the four teenagers were still grounded. Rogue had cut her hair, leaving it slightly longer than before, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Kitty. She insisted that she was just trying out a new look, and it had nothing to do with what Ranma had said. 

Kitty didn't buy it.

Evan had finished his movie/assignment, and was debuting it before the his housemates. Which is the entire reason they were all gathered here.

"Alright," Evan said from the front of the group. Oddly, his hair was now a bright neon pink instead of its usual bleached blond. "This may get a little sappy at times, but I swear it's just for the grade."

"Sit down, stop yappin', and press play already, Porcupine," Logan grunted from his chair.

Evan chuckled as he turned out the lights, the room now illuminated only by the television screen. "Alright then, without further ado..." he turned and pointed the remote at the DVD player, pressing play and taking his seat next to Kurt.

-The screen lit up, revealing a curtain rising, behind it a stage and set. An auditorium filled with people were seated before it, and faint clapping could be heard. The auditorium faded into a slow pan of the city. The word 'Family' appeared on the screen in a white italicized Comic Sans MS font, and the voice over began as the camera focused in on the Institute in the distance.-

_"Welcome to Bayville, my new home,"_ Evan's voice spoke over the image. _"It's a lot more laid back here, compared to New York, where I'm from, but I'm getting used to it."_

-The scene changed to Evan on his skateboard, grinding down a railing towards the camera. The words 'A Film By Evan Daniels' appeared on the screen, also in white italicized Comic Sans MS font.-

_"That's me, Evan Daniels, thrashin' skater!"_

-The scene changed again, the screen going all white before pulling back and resolving, showing the students and Logan wearing gis, being led in a Tai Chi exercise by Ranma.-

_"This film is about what's important to me,"_ Evan's voice continued, _"and that's my family. I mean, these guy's aren't my real family, but they've kinda taken me in, y'know?"_

-Another scene replaced the previous, showing Scott and Kurt washing Scott's convertible, Scott with a rag and Kurt holding the hose. Jean sat on a lounge chair, reading in the background.-

_"Like all families, we're all different."_

-The camera closed in on Scott as he wrung out the wet rag.-

_"That's Scott. He's cool, but can be kinda stiff."_

-The camera made a slow pan over to Kurt, who was spraying Scott with the hose and laughing.-

_"Kurt usually takes care of that problem."_

-Kurt got a wet rag in the face and stopped laughing, then grinned as he sprayed the hose directly at the camera.-

-The water rippled into the next scene, showing a bust of a bald man being formed out of clay a pair of by feminine hands.-

_"The Prof's like my new dad. He's alright, and so is Jean,"_

-the camera pulled back, revealing the owner of the hands to be Jean. Pulling back further, it showed Xavier sitting motionless, posing for the sculpture.-

_"That girl's got looks AND talent."_

-The scene spins off into the upper right-hand corner, revealing the next behind it, showing Logan as he's pulling off his motorcycle helmet, shooting a glare into the camera before walking away.-

_"Logan's like the gruff but lovable uncle, no matter how much he denies it. He always watches out for us."_

(Logan snorted from his chair.)

-The scene faded, replaced with an image of Ororo playing a classical piece on a grand piano, the rest of the residents watching in a semi-circle around her. Ranma is sleeping against the wall.-

_"That's Auntie Ororo at the piano. She's a real classy lady."_

-The next scene was from a week previous, showing Rogue and Kitty dancing to the soundtrack from the school play.-

_"And speakin' of classy ladies, check out Rogue and Kitty! Man, they got the moves!"_

-The camera moved down a bit, showing Ranma sitting behind the CD player, his eyes glued to Rogue's ass as she danced.-

_"Hehehe...got ya back for the pink dye job, Ranma." _the voice over snickered evily.

(The audience laughed. On one of the couches, Rogue turned to Ranma next to her, shooting him a curious glance. Ranma blushed and turned his head, looking at anything but her. Rogue smiled faintly and turned her gaze back to the movie.)

-The next scene dropped down from the top of the screen, showing Ranma during his usual morning practice.-

_"And speaking of moves, take a look at this kid! That's Ranma, the new guy. He hasn't been here that long, but he's already made an impression..."_

-The scene changed, showing Ranma at the lunch table on his first day of school, surrounded by Melinda and her three friends, all of whom were giving him doe-eyed looks.-

_"...especially on the ladies. They just love him."_ The voice-over paused for a moment, then continued. _"We still haven't figured out why."_

(Ranma made a noise, and then another as Rogue elbowed him in the stomach for interrupting the movie.)

-A new scene came in from the side, replacing the old one. This showed Kurt leaning in close to Kitty, puckering his lips. Kitty rolled her eyes and pushed his face away with a smile.-

_"Of course, Kurt does pretty well with the girls too. He's a real Casanova!"_

(The room again bursts out laughing, this time Kurt blushing as Kitty enveloped him in a friendly hug and giving him a small peck on his furry cheek..)

-In the next scene, Evan is sitting in the infirmary, wearing his helmet and skateboarding gear. Doctor Tofu is shaking his head slowly, a bemused smile on his face as he places a bandage over a gash on Evan's shin.-

_"That's Doctor Tofu. He's a great guy to have around, especially when us thrashin' skaters...do a little too much thrashin'."_

-Another scene change, showing Kitty working on her laptop on a bench outside the mansion. As the camera zoomed in on her, she looked up and smiled, holding up a small camera.-

_"We usually all get along pretty good, y'know?" _

-The camera in her hand flashed as she took a picture, the flash turning into the next scene, this one of Jean in the bathroom in her nightclothes, trying to decide what to wear. She was giving the cameraman and angry look as she slammed the door in his face.-

_"But even when someone's mad at me..."_

-another scene change, showing the entire group, minus Rogue and Kitty in the audience at the school play. Ranma is sitting beside Kurt, sleeping, the other boy attempting to poke him awake, unsuccessfully-

_"...they're still there when I need help."_

-The scene moved to show the stage. Kitty and Rogue are in costume, dancing in front of a raised coffin as another student, playing Dracula, was lowered down behind them.-

_"That's what being a family's all about. Hanging tight through the good times and the bad."_

-Close up on Kitty, Rogue, and Dracula, then back to the X-men in the audience.-

_"And these guys always hang tight."_

-Back to the stage as the three take a bow, the curtain falling. Back again to the audience. -

_"So this film is dedicated to my new family."_

-Evan leans into the scene, giving a wide smile as the words 'The End' come onto the screen, and it slowly fades to black.-

Turning the lights back on, Evan looked over the group nervously. "Well, what did you think?"

Kurt ported in front of Evan, grabbing him in a tight hug. "Mein freund! I feel the same way!" he bawled.

Evan tried to pull back, chuckling nervously. "Woah, man, personal space!"

"I cahn't help it," Kurt bawled, holding onto him tightly. "It vas just so...so...beautiful!" he continued gushing, accidenatallt slipping into German, clearly overwhelmed with emotion. Scott got up, attempting to pull Kurt away from Evan but ended up getting enveloped into the hug as well. Laughing, he turned to Evan and grinned. "See what you did, Spyke? You got Kurt all emotional with that flick."

Jean smiled as she stood, placing a hand on Evan's shoulder. "Kurt's right though, Evan," she said, "It was very moving." She tried to back away, but the blue-furred German mutant managed to pull her in as well.

Ororo smiled, standing and wrapping her arms around her nephew from behind. "I thought it was wonderful, Evan." She said. "You're certain to get an 'A'." With a smile of his own, Doctor Tofu joined them silently. He didn't have anything to say that hadn't been said already.

The skater blushed faintly. "It's all true, y'know? You guys have really made me feel at home here. I love you guys."

Ranma snorted, although a smile was on his face. "If this turns inta one big group hugfest, I'm outta here'."

Logan mimicked the gesture. "Same here. I don't do that mushy touchy-feely stuff." he said gruffly.

"Ah'm with you two," Rogue added, although she was smiling as well.

Kitty stuck her tongue out at the three of them "Party poopers." she said as she joined the group hugging to Evan. "We love you too, Evan."

Xavier smiled at the scene before him. This was exactly the kind of camaraderie he had hoped to instill in his charges, and nothing made him happier than seeing he had succeeded. If a group of such very different kids could get along so well, there was definite hope for his dream.

Ranma paled. "Crap...it is a group hug." Glancing between Rogue and Logan, he leaned in close to the goth girl, whispering. "If they turn on us, I saw we sacrifice Logan 'n bolt."

Rogue nodded, eying the group warily.

Kitty looked over at the three who had yet to join them. "Get over here, you guys!"

Jumping out of their seats almost as one, the three began backing slowly towards the door. "Now, it's not that we don't lova ya guys 'n stuff," Ranma said slowly, "we just...um..." Grabbing Logan by the arm, he shoved him into the group, the man yelping in surprise.

"Sorry 'bout this Logan, but yer better suited ta take the damage than either of us." With that he grabbed Rogue's wrist and the pair bolted from the room. As they ran down the hall, they could hear Logan angrily shout "TRAITORS!" as he was consumed by the hug.

* * *

Later that night, in his room, Ranma reflected on Evan's film. While he'd denied it verbally, the film had struck a chord in him. 

He'd come to Bayville to find family, the mother he hadn't seen in over a decade. He had succeeded in finding family, but not the one he'd originally been searching for.

_'How is it I already think of them as family?'_ He asked himself as he stared out the window. _'I've only been here a little over a week, and I already feel more at home than I ever did at the Tendo's. I feel closer to those guys than I ever did to anyone in Nerima... Why?'_

Ranma wasn't one for long, drawn-out introspection, but he spent the next several hours sitting awake and doing just that.

* * *

End Chapter Four

* * *

Two chapters in two days. I'm on a roll! Once I posted Chapter three, this just seemed to flow out of me. As many of you have guessed, this episode takes place during Episode 8, Season 1 of Evolution, 'Spykecam'. Some of the dialog and much of the events are taken directly from that episode, most specifically Evan's movie. I was going to change the dialog for that, but I couldn't come up with anything that sounded better or got my point across clearer than what was said in the original episode. Don't worry, that's not something I'm going to do for every Evolution episode plot I use. That'd get old and boring real fast. 

Anyway, one thing that I feel needs to be addressed. Many reviews have made mention of how Rogue is Mystique's adopted daughter, and with Ranma being Mystique's son in this fic, a pairing between the two would be weird/gross. I knew of this when I started writing, so I'm going to give you the reasoning I've come up with. First, in the Evolution timeline, Rogue does not know about her relation to Mystique until the mid-third season. By then, Ranma and Rogue will be so far into their relationship, they won't care too much. Second, Rogue has no feelings of family towards Mystique or Ranma. She sees one as an enemy, and (at the moment) one as a friend and potential love interest. Third, they are not related by blood in any way. And last of all, in the comics, Nightcrawler's long-time girlfriend, Amanda Sefton (who is also his girlfriend in Evolution), was his foster sister when he was growing up. They don't seem to care about this aspect of their relationship. They aren't related by blood, nor do they see each other as siblings.

If people keep complaining about it, I'll just go back ot each and every chapter and get rid of every instance that makes mention of Mystique adopting Rogue, and just say that in this timeline, the adoption never happened. But I would prefer not to do that.

One last thing, before I forget. I meant to post this in the notes for the past two chapters, but it kept slipping my mind. The ages for the characters, as of this point in the fic, that I'm going with, are as such: Pietro, Wanda, Nabiki, Scott, Jean, and Ranma are 17, the latter having just turned before the beginning of the fic. Rogue, Blob, and Lance are 16. Kurt, Toad, Kitty, and Evan are 15. I don't think anyone will really care, but this is just in case anyone was wondering. It also provided a decent age gap between Mystique's two natural-born children.

Oh, and while a week passed between the fight with Sabertooth and the showing of Evan's movie, Ranma has still not met Mystique. Why this is will be explained in the next chapter.

That's all I got. Let's hope my streak continues, and I can have another chapter just as soon. As always, thanks for reading, and please, review and tell me what you like/dislike/etc.


	5. Chapter 5

Well...Ranma's life's been going pretty good, innit? Hey, wait...what's that thing falling from the sky? Oh, crap, run! It's the other shoe!

**Evolution 1/2**

* * *

Disclaimer: I have taken X-Men: Evolution and Ranma 1/2 hsotage until my demands are met! Bring me three packs of cigarettes and bus fare if you wish to see your intellectual properties again!

* * *

Chapter Five

* * *

Principal Darkholme sat at her desk, nervously tapping her fingers against the wood. A worried look was cast over her face, looking very out of place on her usually taciturn features. Today. Today she'd do it. Today she would finally work up the courage to call Ranma into her office and talk to him. She'd been back in Bayville for a week and a half now, and she'd said this to herself everyday, but her courage had continued to fail her. 

She didn't know why she was so nervous about meeting her son. She wanted to see him more than anything in the world, more so even than she wanted to get her hands on Cerebro. But she was afraid. Afraid he would reject her when he found out they were on opposing sides. Afraid he wouldn't want anything to do with her, afraid he'd see her as the enemy.

Afraid he would hate her for not being in his life the past twelve years. God knows how much she hated that fact herself.

She knew she wasn't the nicest of people. The nice were weak. 'Nice guys finish last' didn't just apply to dating, it applied to every aspect of life in Mystiques eyes. You had to be cruel, deceptive, devious and in some cases downright ruthless if you wanted to succeed in this world. And you had to be better at it than anyone else. She knew, if he didn't reject her outright, that he would try to convince her to change sides, just as she would him. She couldn't, though, Xavier's dream was just that, a dream, a flight of fancy with no place in reality. Mystique had never once accepted the idea that humans and mutants would be able to live peacefully once the existence of the latter was made known to the former.

The humans would hate and fear them, as they did everything that was different. They would use them as a scapegoat, blaming them for any problems, whether they were caused by mutants or not. She had seen it first hand during World War Two. She'd seen the barbarism the human race was capable of in her long life, bringing her to the point where she was simply sickened by the species in general.

She couldn't change sides in this conflict. Not even for her child.

She'd been sitting here at her desk for over an hour now. The school day wasn't starting for another two.

Today. She would do it today at ten am. By noon she would talk to him. 1:37 exact.

She spent the next two hours wondering if he was manly. She silently cursed herself for not thinking of something more relevant.

* * *

Mornings at the Xavier Institute had fallen into a pleasant little routine for Ranma. Not boring by any stretch of the imagination, but a routine nonetheless. 

Up by five AM, he would go outside and practice for an hour in the backyard. If Tofu or the Professor were awake, he would spend a few minutes chatting with them. Xavier had regretfully informed him that he hadn't made much headway in finding his mother, but he was confident the man would come through on his promise.

Every other day, at six am, there would be a team training session in the Danger Room, usually in the form of a simulation. Rescues, information gathering, protection of a point or person... they practiced everything. While Ranma wasn't too thrilled with the less combat-intensive training, he did find it fun. The whole room was like the world's greatest video game - which it actually was; Kurt had shown Ranma the Tetris feature - and the missions were always interesting at the very least.

By seven the entire mansion would be us for breakfast, usually cooked by Ororo, who's culinary skills, while not quite up to par with Kasumi's, were still very impressive. Fortunately, cooking was one of Ororo's hobbies, - along with tending the greenhouse that was her room, where she grew all the vegetables she ate - and she enjoyed doing it for them. Although she had refused to cook for Ranma until his table manners and eating habits had improved, which had taken a solid three days.

By 7:45, the students were out the door and on the way to school. Ranma still missed roof-hopping his way there, but accepted that Bayville wasn't quite used to the strange as Nerima was, and such a sight would make people wonder. So he hopped a ride on Scott's car, usually with Kitty, Kurt and Rogue. Jean got a ride everyday from some jock he had yet to meet, and Evan preferred to board to school.

Which is where he was now, sitting in the backseat between Kitty and Rogue as they pulled into the school parking lot.

"No, Punchout is NOT a good codename," Ranma exclaimed to a smirking Rogue and a giggling Kitty.

"Why not?" Rogue retorted. "It suits yah, especially with tha way yah deviated from tha plan durin' trainin' this mornin'. You remembah, right?" she asked, grinning. "When yah left yer post an' snuck around tha facility, personally takin' care of each of tha guards with a single punch?"

"And alerted the enemy to our presence," Scott muttered, an edge in his tone as he turned of the engine. "You're a great teammate, Ranma, but you have to stop going off on your own so much."

"I said I was sorry," Ranma replied as he got out of the car, "I jus' got so bored waitin' fer the rest of ya to finish the objective. I shoulda gone in with ya, I got stealth."

"Yeah, you do," Kitty said, "but like, the purpose of the whole simulation was to help Evan develop HIS infiltration skills."

"Oh, right..." Ranma said, remembering. "I'm still not lettin' ya call me Punchout, though."

This was another part of the routine. Every few days, one of them would come up with a new codename for him, which he would reject automatically. So far they had gone through Void, Null, and Horse-man. The latter had been jokingly suggested when he had made the mistake of telling them what his name translated to in English. It'd taken them three days to stop calling him that.

He still didn't know what Kitty had meant when she said he lived up to the name, or why she'd blushed after saying so.

"I don't see why I need no dumb codename," he continued, "Rogue and Jean don't got one." He said, waving to the redhead as she got out of her boyfriend's car and approached the group, said boyfriend apparently ignoring her in order to talk about something apparently hilarious with his buddies.

Scott smirked. "Oh, Jean has a codename..."

The redheads' eyes narrowed as she glared at him. "Don't you dare say it Scott..." she warned.

Rogue and Kitty exchanged a glance. Jean had a codename?

Kurt grinned, "Come on, let them know your codename..."

"Don't say it..." Jean repeated, giving both Scott and Kurt a steely gaze.

Scott and Kurt exchanged a grin, then said together. "Marvel Girl."

Jean flinched as the other three burst out laughing. "I told you not to say it..." she whined pitifully to Scott and Kurt as the two high-fived each other. "I came up with it when I was 14, when my powers first developed," she tried to explain over their laughter. "Please don't start using it again," she pleaded as the septet made their way into the school.

* * *

Mystique watched the X-Men through her office window as they entered the school. Her eyes took in everything about the group, a small smile crossing over her face as she saw the looks the girls they passed sent Ranma's way as he passed by. 

She smiled, a lone tear falling down her cheek, another uncharacteristic emotion on the normally stern face of her Principal persona. "My son is so manly." she whispered to herself, turning away from the window and sitting down at her desk. Taking a deep breath and burying her emotions with a practiced ease, the pressed the intercom button on her phone. "Dorothy, you may send him in now."

"Yes Miss Darkholme," the intercom crackled in response.

Sitting back and steepling her hands in a classic Gendo Ikari pose, she watched as he secretary, pretty brunette in her mid-twenties, opened the door to allow the man to enter.

"Charles." she greeted pleasantly." To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit."

Xavier smiled and thanked the young woman as he directed his wheelchair into the office. Once she left, shutting the door behind her, he moved his chair closer to the desk.

"I know why you're here." Mystique said, her voice turning cold but betraying no emotion.

"I suspected you did," Xavier replied. "Cerebro sensed your presence on the mansion grounds over a week ago."

"I see then you have come to a conclusion about your newest charge," she continued, "based upon the appearance of his female form."

"Correct," He answered, "I was hoping you might come to me, or inform the boy yourself. I scheduled this meeting when I saw this was not the case. Why have you not revealed yourself to him, Raven?"

Mystique narrowed her eyes. "That is not something you need to concern yourself with, Charles."

"It is, Raven," he countered. "When I met the boy, I made him a promise to help and locate his mother. You are the sole reason he came to Bayville to begin with."

Mystique's eyes widened a fraction. "You did not recruit him yourself?" she asked, unable to keep a hint of surprise out of her voice. He had come to find her?

Xavier shook his head. "I did not." he replied. "From what little he has told me, a friend of his back in Japan managed track you down under a different name, one 'Nodoka Saotome.'"

Nodoka Saotome. Mystique hadn't used that name in years. Not since she and Genma had ceased posing as a family. "And how did he come into contact with you?"

"Cerebro detected him when his mutant gene became active shortly after his arrival in Bayville," Xavier explained. "We were not able to locate him, however, but through an odd string of coincidences, he ended up coming to us, although he did not know he was a mutant. I offered him a place at the mansion and with the team, as well as help in locating you."

Mystique remained silent as she processed all of this, struggling to keep her facade in place. "And he willingly joined your side," she said, a faint accusation in her tone.

"You know I would never use my powers to force anyone, especially in the matter of ideology," Charles replied, his tone turning slightly angry at the accusation. "Ranma is a kind person, who believes in using his abilities to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

A faint smile crossed Mystique's face without her realizing it. "Yes..." she whispered softly. "Genma always did hold to that same philosophy."

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Genma?" he asked.

The shapeshiter narrowed her eyes at him. "That it is any of your concern."

Xavier let the matter drop. "Regardless, it is a moot point to accuse me of manipulating his mind. His gifts render him immune to telepathy."

"I should have realized he would choose your side, being raised by that man," Mystique sighed bitterly. "And yet I held onto the foolish hope that he would join with me." she continued, anticipating and interrupting Charles' next question. "You need not worry about me using my relationship with him to force him to my side, Xavier." she said bitterly. "His father made me promise to allow Ranma to make his own decision on the matter." she narrowed her eyes. "Do not assume that means I will not try to bring him over to me, but in the end it his own decision."

"Forgive me if I do not believe you will hold true to your promise, Mystique," Xavier countered, "You past actions have shown you to be less than trustworthy."

Mystigue glared at the telepath. "I made a promise about my son, Xavier," she growled, pushing herself to her feet and leaning across the desk to look him in the eye, "to a man I consider my closest friend. I admit you have good reason not to trust me, but how dare you accuse me of such a thing in regards to a matter such as this?!"

"I... apologize, Raven," Xavier said sincerely. He could sense the truth in the vehemence of her words without needing to resort to telepathy.

Mystique pressed the button on her phone to buzz her secretary before turned away, glaring out the window. "I do not accept your apology. Leave."

Xavier turned his wheelchair around, saying. "I made a promise to tell Ranma anything I learned about his mother," he said as he made his way to the door. "If you do not tell him by the end of the week, I will do so myself." He made his way through the door as the secretary opened it for him, thanking her on his way out.

Mystique remained at the window, staring taciturnly at nothing. "Today." she whispered after several minutes. "1:37 pm." She vowed. She would not let Charles win this little confrontation by telling her son before she did.

* * *

Ranma yawned as he walked to the cafeteria with Melinda. The pretty blond girl was talking up a storm as usual, and as usual, he was barely listening, throwing in a nod or a 'yep' at random intervals. 

English had been pretty boring, as usual, but he was learning how to read the language better. He had managed to fake it for a few days when he had first started out, not wanting to get stuck in an English as a Second Language class. He spent most of the period now reading through the textbook, as boring as it was, for practice, and today had managed to successfully read a passage aloud with few mistakes.

American History was proving to be just as boring as he originally thought. He didn't know why he was forced to take the class; he barely had in interest in the history of his homeland, mush less this country.

Biology, however, was proving to be far more interesting than he'd anticipated. As a martial artist, he had to know his body - both of them - inside and out. Biology, while not exclusive to the study of the human body, had a lot of interesting aspects to it, and he found himself not desiring sleep during the class any more.

Ranma blinked as Melinda poked him in the arm. "Hmm? Oh, sorry. Kinda spaced for a minute."

"It's alright," Melinda said, flashing him a smile. Ranma had to admit, the girl was quite beautiful. If only she didn't talk so much. "I was just wondering if you wanted to eat with me, Sharon, and the Jennifers today."

Sharon and the Jennifers? Oh, right, her three friends. He could never remember their names. Heh. Sounded like the name of some kind of girl band. "Nah, sorry Mel. Promised I'd eat with th'others today."

"Oh..." Melinda said in a slightly forlorn tone of voice, while simultaneously blushing at his use of what she considered a 'pet name'. She smiled, "Hey, Ranma? Um... what are you doing Friday night?" she asked shyly.

"Friday night?" He thought for a moment, trying to remember if he had any plans. Rogue and Kitty were forcing him to go shopping on Saturday. Something about him needing more variety in his wardrobe. Thursday night was movie night at the mansion, Kurt's idea. Nope, nothin' planned for Friday. "Nothin' important. Why?" he finally answered as the entered the cafeteria.

Melinda bit her lip and stopped walking, standing to the side of the entryway. "'cause I was wonderin', if you wanted to, I dunno, maybe...go out and do something. Hang out, maybe catch a movie or whatever?"

"Huh," he grunted as his stomach made a soft growl, eying the lunch line. "Yeah, sure, sounds like fun." he said absently. Damn, he was hungry.

The blond girl's face lit up. "Cool. Okay, cool. So, um, see you in Phys Ed?" she asked. Seeing him nod, she ran off into the lunchroom.

Ranma followed after her, dropping his stuff off at the table with his friends and heading to the line to get his food.

Back at the table, Kurt glanced over to where Melinda and her friends were sitting, the blond girl chattering away excitedly about something he couldn't make out. "Vonder what Melinda is so happy about?" he pondered aloud as he turned back to his companions.

Rogue snorted as she picked at her food. "Probably found a way to keep talkin' without havin' ta stop 'n breathe."

Scott chuckled. "Well, she was talking with Ranma right before she got all excited. Maybe he knows?"

Chugging down his first milk, Evan sighed happily. Damn that stuff was good. "Speaking of, what lame codename should we annoy him with next?" he asked, opening another carton.

Giggling, Kitty glanced to make sure he wasn't coming and pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. "I made a list during French class," she explained.

Over at the lunch line, Ranma waited impatiently for the slowpokes ahead of him to choose what they wanted. Glancing to the side, he saw Pietro get in line behind him, the brown-haired guy - Lance, if he remembered correctly - with him. "'Sup Silver." he greeted.

"Heya Saotome," the speedster replied. It was odd being on such a casual basis with someone who was technically the enemy, but Ranma had yet to act towards them with any outright hostility. Add in that Mystique wanted them to try and get him on their side, the Brotherhood found they had no reason to be assholes towards the boy.

Not that they needed a reason.

"Yo, Ranma." Lance greeted, leaning against the wall as he grabbed a tray and joined the wait. "How's life with the twerps?"

Ranma rolled his eyes and grinned. "Same as ever. Havin' a good time, trainin', all that jazz. How's with you and the Botherhood?" he asked, purposefully mispronouncing the name.

"Mystique's been raggin' on us pretty hard in the mornings," Lance said, wincing as he shifted his foot. Toad had gotten him with a pretty good kick during training this morning. Damn fly-eater was a natural. "Aside from that, no complaints."

"Cool, cool," Ranma nodded. This Mystique lady sounded like she was a pretty good fighter. He wondered if he'd get a chance to have a match with her sometime, either inside or outside an actual confrontation. From what the other's had told him of her, though, she probably fought dirty. Which, of course, would make it all the more fun.

Pietro was tapping his tray against his leg impatiently. "Dammit, why won't those losers hurry up and pick something out? It doesn't even matter, it all tastes the same anyway."

Lance grunted in agreement. "Yeah, I'm hungry and sick of waiting. Heh, check this out." he said with a grin. Pressing his uninjured foot against the ground, he clenched his teeth and sent a small, almost unnoticeable tremor along the floor towards the two that were holding up the line. The tremor went under their feet, causing them to suddenly flail about, both of them eventually falling down on their on their backsides.

Pietro smirked as the three boys stepped forward. "Hey, whattaya know, the line's cleared."

Ranma snorted. If he hadn't been so hungry, he might have been upset at Lance picking on the two like that. But he was hungry, and they'd been holding up the line, so his stomach deemed it justified. Holding out his tray before the server, he greeted her. "Heya. Th'usual."

The lunch lady nodded and grabbed several items without looking, placing them on Ranma's tray. Paying for his meal, Ranma headed over to join his friends, waving a half-hearted goodbye to Lance and Pietro.

"Hey guys," Ranma greeted, sitting down next Rogue and immediately digging into his food, not noticing as Kitty quickly jammed something into her pocket.

The others waved a greeting, Rogue flashing Ranma a small smile.

"Saw you talking to Melinda earlier," Kitty said, "Any idea why shes like, so happy?"

Ranma shook his head. "She always seems happy." he said absently between bites unidentifiable meat. "Wanted t'meet up 'n hang out or somethin' on Friday. Said I'd go."

The group blinked. "Like, a date?" Kitty asked.

"Nah, just hangin' out."

"You sure Ranma?" Scott asked, glancing over at Melinda, who was still chattering excitedly. Her friends all had looks of pure envy on their faces. "Melinda seems to think it's a date, by the way she's acting."

Rogue was surprised to find herself shooting a glare at the blond girl. How long had she been doing that?

Ranma looked up from his food, blinking. "What? I didn't agree to no date." he paused, then added. "Then again, I wasn't payin' much attention, really."

Evan laughed, which was unfortunate as he was drinking milk at the time. Coughing and sputtering as it shot out his nose, he shot Ranma a look. Man, he was lucky not to have shot off any spikes during that With his lukc they would have come out of his nose. Filing that thought away for future pranks, he spoke. "You weren't paying attention?"

"Uh...no..." Ranma shrugged. "I was hungry."

* * *

Mystique sat in her office, her finger hovering over the button to activate the intercom channel to her secretary. Her eyes were locked on the wall clock. 

1:34

She had to do this! She had to! Dammit, finger, press the button already! She glared at her hand, but it refused to move.

Why did this have to be so damned hard? She wanted to see him, needed to see him. Why was it so damned hard to push the button and tell her Dorothy to have him come see her?

Mystique knew why. She was afraid. Afraid he'd hate her for being on the opposite side. Afraid he'd hate her for the things she had done in her life. Afraid he'd hate her for being forced to leave him all those years ago.

1:35

She didn't even care that they were on opposing sides any more, as long as he was willing to let her be a part of his life. Would he try and make her change sides? She tried to delude herself into thinking she could do it for him, but she knew she couldn't. As much as she loved him, she had given too much of her life to her cause to just abandon it. That cause, and her duties to it, had been the whole reason she was forced to leave him all those years ago. Giving it up would mean she had been separated from her son for nothing, had lost her other son for nothing.

1:36

Her finger hovered over the button, twitching slightly as it moved a fraction closer.

She had to do it. Even if he hated her, she had to see him again. She had to let him know she was here.

1:37

Her finger pressed down on the button. In a calm voice that masked the intensity of the emotions she was feeling, she spoke.

"Dorothy...please page Ranma Saotome and have him come to my office."

* * *

Ranma exchanged a glance with Jean, who shrugged in response, and got out of his desk to answer the summons. Why would Darkholme want to see him? 

Leaving the Physics classroom after taking the hall pass from Mr. Varnsen, Ranma made his way to the office. The others had told him on his first day that the Principal was also the leader of the Brotherhood, a shapeshifter named Mystic or Plastique or something. He hadn't met the lady yet, and according to his teammates that was a good thing, so he had to wonder why she wanted to see him now.

Was it possible she just wanted to size up the newest addition to her enemy's team? Recalling what Rogue had said she had done to her, he idly toyed with the thought that she'd try and recruit him. He liked Pietro and Lance, but didn't quite care for the way they tended to use their powers for selfish reasons, nor for the ideology their side represented. Xavier's ideals were much more to his liking; protecting the weak, using ones skills to help others, helping to foster understanding.

Sure, he never really practiced two of those ideal, but that didn't mean he didn't like 'em.

Maybe this was actually school business, not mutant-related at all? He didn't think he'd done anything to get in trouble, aside from occasionally falling asleep in American History. Or that time he called the football coach a weakling. Or the fire in the Biology lab. English was his third language, how the hell was he supposed to know 'inflammable' _didn't _mean it wouldn't catch fire?

Pondering this as he made his way into the office. Once inside, the secretary looked up at him from behind her desk. "Ranma Saotome?" seeing him nod in the affirmative, she gestured to the door behind her. "Principal Darkholme is waiting for you. Please go on in."

Nodding, Ranma did as told, opening the door and stepping inside, shutting it behind him. Taking a quick glance around the office - making sure to take note of the escape routes -

Ranma saw the Principal sitting behind her desk, her chair turned away from him towards the window.

"Ranma," she greeted without looking at him. Her voice was devoid of any emotion. "Please, take a seat."

* * *

Nabiki groaned. As her headache had returned with friends. She'd been to three doctors, but they had no idea what could be causing them. 

The past week and a half had been, essentially, one long headache, steadily getting worse. She had been forced to stay home from school today because of it, unable to even get up out of bed. The pain medication she had been prescribed was of little help. The best it could do was weaken it for a few hours, but afterwards it would come back stronger than ever.

Forcing herself out of bed, Nabiki clenched her teeth as she tried to force the pain back. She met with little success. Not giving up, she staggered towards the door.

Her head consumed with pain, she didn't notice her computer waking up from sleep mode as she passed, the web browser opening itself up to a page on headache remedies.

Carefully making her way downstairs, she absently noted her father and Uncle Saotome making their way into the dojo. She didn't know how the fat man had done it, but somehow, he had made a significant change in her father over the past few weeks. He'd barely cried, was laughing more, and even more surprising, Kasumi had made mention of mother and he hadn't burst into tears!

He'd even gotten him practicing martial arts again!

"Nabiki! What are you doing out of bed?!"

Squinting her eyes as she looked up, she saw the concerned face of her older sister. "I couldn't stay in that room another minute, Kasumi." she muttered, wincing as the vibrations from her words pounded through her head. "It's too stuffy. I needed some air."

Kasumi bit her lip. "The doctors said you should really stay in bed when they get this bad, Nabiki-chan." she said, her voice concerned. "Come, let me help you back up there and I'll open your window."

Nabiki staggered over to the couch and sat down, her face pointing downwards as she cradled her head in one hand. "No, Kasumi..." she replied, "Just let me stay down here for a little while."

Biting her lip, in concern, Kasumi nodded, even though she knew Nabiki couldn't see it. _'I'd better tell father and Uncle Saotome not to make too much noise,'_ she thought to herself.

"Yeah, that's a good idea sis," Nabiki said. "Noise bad..."

Kasumi blinked. Had she said that out loud? Assuming she must have, she made her way over to the dojo to put action to words.

Sighing, and then wincing and coming to the conclusion that sighing was a bad idea, Nabiki rubbed her forehead. This headache was really cutting into her business ventures. Being forced to stay at home meant an entire day of lost profits. While her factors were intelligent enough and should be capable of handling things themselves, she knew they wouldn't be able to bring in near enough profit when she wasn't there. Add in the fact that Ryonami and Haruka were skimming off the top - something she had planned to take care of today - and the day's take was going to be little more than chump change.

"Nabiki-chan, here, drink this." Kasumi appeared, kneeling in front of her and holding up a cup of tea. Damn, how did she move around so silently? If Nabiki hadn't been in such pain, the surprise would have made her leap through the ceiling!

Nabiki took it from her gingerly, sniffing the liquid. "What's in this?"

"It's an herbal tea," Kasumi explained with a smile, "It's supposed to help relax the constricted blood vessels in your head that are causing your headache. I got it from Doctor Tofu before he left." Inwardly, she sighed. She missed that sweet man.

"I miss him too, sis," Nabiki said, sipping her tea and not noticing the look of surprise that crossed her sister's face. "Hell, the guy probably knows some shiatsu-type thingy that could clear this up completely."

Kasumi blushed faintly. She was certain she hadn't said that outloud.

Nabiki idly wished Kasumi would speak a little more clearly as she sipped her tea. Her voice was sounding really muffled. Nabiki smiled up at her sister. This crap was actually working. Whoda thunk? "Thanks sis, My heads actually feeling a bit better now."

Kasumi gave her sister and angelic smile before heading into the kitchen to start dinner, making a mental note to stop saying what she was thinking outloud. She didn't want anyone finding her stash of chocolates.

Nabiki smirked, making a mental note to fish the watertight container out of the koi pond. She couldn't believe Kasumi had let that slip out!

* * *

Kocho leaned back in his hammock, relaxing in the atmosphere of his Hawaii-themed office. He really did have a certain affection for the islands he had based his insane cover off of. Closing his eyes, he prepared himself for a deep snooze. 

Less than a minute later, the fronds of the palm tree on his head suddenly flared and Kocho's eyes snapped wide open, his pupils sinking back and leaving his eyes a pure white.

It would happen soon. Another few days at the most. Nabiki Tendo's x-gene would fully manifest. Already he was getting more accurate readings on her abilities.

"Network telepathy?" he muttered, processing the info. That was a new one. "Cyberpathy." That was one he was more familiar with. Processing the data he was receiving, he got a full analysis of what both abilities were. As his pupils returned, a small smile crossed over his wide mouth as he came to an understanding. Mystique would be pleased.

Glancing over at his desk, his eyes rested on the coconut-shaped telephone. "Mystique said to inform her immediately..." he muttered. "But I'm soooo comfortable..."

Taking several minutes to internally battle his desire to nap with his fear of Mystique, Kocho eventually leaned back into his hammock. He had nothing to worry about. Xavier's machine may have greater range than his own abilities, but it was nowhere near as accurate or as perfect. Cerebro wouldn't pick up on the Tendo girl's activating x-gene until it was fully awakened, which wouldn't happen for another few days. And by then, Mystique would have the girl.

Besides...Mystique would want him fully rested when he gave his report, anyway.

* * *

Ryouga stared at Magnus dispassionately. Inside him, anger and rage burned brightly, and depression festered. Love shimmered and fear quivered. 

In his minds eye, each and every one those emotions was chained to a wall, struggling to get free.

"You are doing well, my young friend..." Magnus said, a rare smile coming to his face. "You are well on the path to controlling your powers, instead of letting your powers control you."

Ryouga's face held no expression. Silently, he held up his right hand, palm facing skywards. Moments later, a shimmering ball of bright white life energy appeared above his palm. Pure ki, unfiltered through any emotions.

"You are progressing admirably," Magnus said as he rose to his feet. "Keep practicing, Ryouga. I have some business to attend to. I will return later tonight."

Watching as his teacher rose into the air, Ryouga reabsorbed the ball of ki and stood. Snorting, he turned to pack up his campsite. He had learned enough from the old man. Almost two weeks he had spent, listening to the old man ramble about things Ryouga cared nothing about.

"I've learned all I need to from you, old man." He muttered, looking up in the direction the other mutant had disappeared in. Hefting his pack and battle umbrella, he took off in a random direction.

Laughing loudly, Ryouga grinned as he thought of his upcoming vengeance. Ranma had no chance in hell.

It was only a matter of finding him.

* * *

Genma observed his best friend proudly as he practiced. He had taken it upon himself to help Tendo out in the two weeks since Ranma had left. Ranma was gone, and would not be fulfilling the pledge. Which meant Tendo would have no male heir to pass the dojo to, and he knew Akane would never be able to teach if she did not learn to control her temper. Nabiki would not be content to help the family out with money forever, this Genma also knew. So that left only one option. 

He and Tendo would reopen the dojo. This, of course, was easier said than done.

The first step was getting Tendo to stop whining about everything. He knew the loss of the man's wife had hit him hard, and even if he didn't know it, it was damn obvious. The man had been in near constant mourning for more than ten years now.

And that was eight years too long, in Genma's opinion. It was time for the man to move on.

Shortly after one of Soun's fits of despair, he had taken his friend aside and spoke to him. When Tendo refused to listen, Genma smacked him across the face. That had been enough to stun him into shutting up.

Genma had then proceeded to tell his friend, that, in no uncertain terms, he was to be a man and stop crying like a little girl. Soun had been about to retort that he was doing no such thing when Genma pulled out his bomb.

"Kimiko would be ashamed of you."

Tendo had frozen solid after hearing those words. Genma had literaly been able to hear the gears turning in his friend's head as he processed the information. Taking advantage of the situation, Genma had proceeded with the attack.

"You love her still, I know. Your dedication to her is admirable, but this is the last thing she would have wanted you to become." he had said. "She married a strong man. The first thing that attracted her to you was your strength of character, remember? And look at you now. A pale shell of a man, weeping at the drop of a hat. Kimiko would be ashamed."

Soun had tried to protest, but Genma could tell he didn't even believe what he was saying. After several minutes, Soun had turned to the shrine in the corner of the dojo, where the ashes of his wife were kept. Falling to his knees before it, he wept. Not tears of anger, or sadness, or happiness. Soun had cried with an emotion he hadn't in years.

Regret.

Genma had spent the next two weeks helping Soun. The man would still cry, but it became more sporadic, and the fits of despair no longer lasted as long. Within a few days, he had stopped crying all together. Genma could still see the man was hurting, but his words truly had effected him.

One week after Ranma's disappearance, Soun had asked him to spar.

Tendo was in horrible form the entire match, a far cry from the near-equal of Genma he had been in their days training under Happosai. His movements were wooden, his reaction time was slow, and his footwork was sloppy. His skills had degraded in almost every way possible.

So Genma started training again with his friend. He helped him to regain the skills he had let degrade in his years of mourning, and to Genma's surprise, he didn't have near as much work to do on the matter as he had thought. Soun had always been a natural at the Art, and his form and technique had improved rapidly over the course of only a few days. With it, the man's confidence had returned. He was smiling more, laughing again. The wisecracking young man Genma had known in his youth was returning, replacing the pathetic shell of regret and sorrow he had become. He wasn't all there yet, but it would only be a matter of time now. And Genma knew exactly how to spur it on.

Yesterday, he had suggested they re-open the dojo to students again. Soun needed to teach. Soun had emphatically agreed.

Which brought them to today. Genma was still helping his friend train, acting as his instructor as well as his training partner. If Soun kept improving like this, they'd be ready to re-open the dojo within a week.

Genma sighed. Things were going to be coming to a head soon. He could feel it. Erik was planning something, and Ranma would be involved. If Genma was lucky, he could avoid the entire thing. If he was really lucky, Magneto would fail and perish, and Genma wouldn't have to deal with him ever again.

Genma was never lucky.

"Something wrong, old friend?"

He turned his gaze to Soun, who was wiping his face off with a towel. Smiling, he shook his head. "Just letting my mind wander, Tendo."

"You're worried about your son." It was not a question.

Genma nodded. "I have to admit, I am. Not so much for his safety, I know full wel he can take care of himself." he sighed, "I worry about his well-being in general. He's embarked on a potentially dangerous path, and I want nothing more than to be there by his side to help him through it."

"You never did tell me why Ranma had left, Saotome," Soun said, hoping to get his friend to open up.

Genma chuckled. "No I didn't, Tendo, and I won't now. Not that I don't trust you, you know damn well better than that." He paused, adjusting his glasses, "It's simply not my place to tell you."

Soun nodded, and the two sat down on the steps leading outside, letting themselves cool down from their workout. After several minutes, Soun spoke.

"Ranma isn't going to marry one of my daughters, is he?"

Genma shook his head. "No, I do not believe he will," he glanced at Soun out of the corner of his eye. "You don't seem bothered by this, Tendo."

"These past two weeks have opened my eyes, old friend," Soun responded, "I've put all of my hopes and dreams on that boys shoulders, and that is too much of a load to bear for one his age. Looking back, I can see the boy would never have been happy taking over the dojo. He has the same wanderlust, the same thirst for adventure that the two of us had at his age." Soun paused, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Taking a slow drag, he continued. "We grew out of that, because we were allowed to grow out of it, Saotome. Tying the boy down so soon will only cause the wanderlust to build within him. It has to be allowed to play out, or he will never be happy. Don't get me wrong, I would be thrilled to have your son marry one of my daughters, and let our families become one. But I have decided..."

Soun was silent for several moments, Genma didn't say anything, having a hunch where his friend was going and willing to let him take his time.

"I am dissolving the Tendo end of our pledge, Saotome." he finished, finally.

"I hearby dissolve the Saotome end of the pledge." Genma responded. "The pledge is no more. I agree with you completely."

The two friends continued to stare off into the distance in silence, until Soun's eldest daughter called them in for dinner.

* * *

Raven stared out the window as her son took a seat on the other side of her desk. All she had to do was turn around, and she would see him up close for the first time on over a decade. She had no idea what to say, she soon realized. She had spent so much time worrying about actually meeting him, she hadn't thought of what she was going to tell him. 

Taking a deep breath, she turned her chair to face him. He certainly had grown up well. No wonder the girls all stared. "Ranma..." she said, the words out of her mouth before she even realized she had spoken.

"I didn't do it!" Ranma declared almost as a reflex. He had spent the past several minutes sitting in this chair in silence, waiting for the woman across from him to say something, the entire time his mind continuing to run through the possible reasons she had for calling him here.

Mystique blinked. "Didn't do what?"

"Uh...whatever ya think I did?" Ranma said, unconvincingly.

Raven laughed. She couldn't help it. "Ranma," she said, chuckling, "You are not in trouble. There is a different reason I have called you in here today." she took a deep breath, once again lost as to how to proceed.

Ranma narrowed his eyes a little. "Is this...mutant -related stuff?" he asked cautiously.

Mystique shook her head. "No..." she took another deep breath. _'Now or never, Raven old girl.' _she told herself. "This... this is about the reason you have come to Bayville." she finally said.

Blinking, Ranma narrowed his eyes again. "What do you know about that?" he asked, his tone carrying an edge to it.

Raven flinched. For the first time in her life, she really wished she was better at talking about this kind of stuff. "Quite a bit," she replied. "More than you might think, and not for the reasons you must be thinking right now." she stood, walking around to the other side of the desk, stopping a few feet away from him. "You have come here to find your mother," she said, "A mother who you have not seen in more than ten years, since Genma took you on that training journey."

"Yeah..." Ranma said slowly, "What are ya gettin' at, lady? Do you know where my mom is?" Did she kidnap her? It would fit the profile the others had given him.

Raven continued, her eyes moistening slightly. "You have missed you mother, I am told, to the point where you left the land of your birth and came halfway around the world, without hesitation when you found out where she was." she paused, "I want you to know, Ranma...your mother has missed you just as much. She wept for weeks after she was forced to leave you behind, and has hurt every day since from your absence. She loves you, Ranma, with all of her heart and soul, what little left of both there is. She wants you to know that, and she hopes you don't hate her for what she will have to tell you when you meet."

"How do ya know so much, lady?" Ranma growled, grasping the arm of his chair so tightly the wood cracked and splintered, small droplets of blood trickling out from where the wood had punctured his skin. "Do ya know where she is?" he asked again.

Raven chuckled without humour. "I do." she whispered. Taking a deep breath, and throwing caution to the wind, she invoked her powers a slow ripple passing over her form as she shed her Principal person and resumed her natural form. "She's right here, standing in front of you."

Ranma stared at the woman before him in shock. Her skin was the same shade of blue as his female form's, and the hair was the same as well. Her words registered in his head, neurons firing as he slowly made the connection. "...what?" he asked. "You?"

Mystique nodded. "Me."

"You?!" Ranma repeated, unable to believe it.

"Yes," she choked out. She had told him, had revealed who she was, and now was the moment of truth. Would he reject her?

Ranma stared at her. "You...you look exactly like my female form." Ranma muttered. "But...yer a shapeshifter...how do I know ya didn't just...shift yer shape ta this in order ta trick me?" narrowing his eyes, his hand lashed out, grabbing her by the arm, his skin making contact with hers. If this was just a shape to trick him, his touch would nullify her powers and force her back to her natural state.

Mystique blinked in surprise when her son grabbed her arm. What was he doing? "Ranma?"

"Ya didn't change..." Ranma muttered, staring at his hand. "This is yer natural form... which looks just like my girl form... if ya were lyin' t'me, and ya were pretendin', my null field would have changed ya back... Pops... Pops always said my girl form looked just like you when ya were my age..." he unconsciously shifted to his female form, then back without noticing.

Raven's eyes widened in understanding. "So..." she gulped, "so do you believe me now, Ranma?" she asked, sitting down in the chair next to his. "I can give you more proof if you like," she said, reaching into a hidden pocket in her white tunic and pulling out a crumpled photograph. Her most prized possession, the only picture she had of her and her son, taken the day before she was forced to leave him with Genma. Silently, she handed it to Ranma, holding it

Ranma took it numbly, staring down at it. The picture was of the woman before him, wearing a light purple sun dress than accentuated the blue of her skin. In her arms was a boy of about four years old, wearing a dirty white training gi, with black hair tied back into a short rat tail. Ranma recognized the boy instantly, an easy feat considering it was himself. The pair had smiles of joy on their faces, their laughter and love captured in this single photograph. Glancing up he looked Myst-no, his mother in the eyes.

"This..." he couldn't find the words to continue, barely able to think. His mind was swimming in confusion. His mother was the leader of the Brotherhood, part of the faction opposed to Xavier and the rest of the X-Men. Which he was a part of now.

"It's the most important thing I own," Mystique replied softly. "the only picture I have of you, taken a day before I was forced to leave." She had nothing like that of her other son, his half-brother. Nothing but the painful memories of losing him when she was forced to leave him behind as well.

Ranma handed the photograph back to her in a daze. "You...you're with the other side..." he growled slightly, standing up. "Yer the enemy... the one who's done all those terrible things ta my friends... tried ta kill Scott... all the stuff ya did ta Rogue..."

Mystique winced with every accusation, knowing she could not refute them. It was all true. The cringed inwardly at what she believed to be disgust in his tone.

Ranma turned around, walking towards the door. His mother was his enemy. This could not be happening!

"Ranma!" she called out, her tone filled with fear. This was what she had been afraid of, he was leaving her. "Please...don't..."

"I..." he mumbled, his hand on the doorknob, "I need ta go... need time ta think..." he opened the door and stepped outside, slamming it behind him.

Mystique couldn't hear a word he was saying, caught up in the pain of having him here and now seeing him leave, her heart breaking as the door shut behind him. He hated her, she just knew it. All her fears had come true. He hated her, hated her for everything she had done...

She stood, tears flowing freely from her eyes as she ran to the window and threw it open, her form shifting into a bird as she leaped out the window, soaring into the distance.

* * *

Ranma entered the mansion, slamming the door behind him and startling Logan. 

"Hey, aren't ya s'posed to be in school, pigtail?"

Ranma didn't turn around, heading up the stairs.

"Hey, kid, I asked ya a question!"

Ranma paused, not turning around as he answered, his voice making dry ice seem warm. "Not now Logan." he said, continuing up the stairs.

Logan stared after the boy, his eyes wide. Something must have happened to the kid.

Moments later, Logan heard the door to the boy's room slam with enough force, he had a feeling they might need to fix the frame later. Yep. Something definitely must have happened.

* * *

Ranma paced in his room. He wanted to break something. Looking out the window, he noticed the forest behind the mansion. His face settling in a mask of determination, he opened the window and leaped out.

* * *

Jean was worried. Ranma had never returned from Darkholme's office. It was the end of the school day now, and she was getting worried. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling something had happened. 

Turning the corner, she entered the parking lot to see Scott leaning up against his convertible, Rogue, Kurt, Kitty and Evan with him, the latter with a wheel on his board busted and thus forced to catch a ride with Scott. "Hey guys," she called out, running over. "Have any of you seen Ranma?"

"Not since lunch," Kurt answered with a shake of his head. "Ve've been vaiting for him for a vhile now."

"He wasn't in Phys Ed today." Kitty said, "D'you think he might be sick or something?"

"No..." Jean said, biting her lip. "He was called into Darkholme's office during Physics today, and he never came back."

Scott narrowed his eyes behind his shades. "Do you think Mystique did something to him?"

"Ah've noticed tha Brotherhood tryin' to recruit him the past coupla days," Rogue pointed out, worry evident in her voice. "Maybe she went an' snatched him right out?"

Jean frowned worriedly. If it were anyone else, she would have tried to contact them telepathically, but Ranma's nullification effect made him immune to such contact. Seeing something out of the corner of her eye, she turned her head to see Lance and the Brotherhood heading towards his jeep.

Scott noticed them too. "Alvers!" he called out, running up to the boy, the others following behind him.

Lance looked up, rolling his eyes. "What do you want, Summers?" He asked, slipping into a slightly defensive position. The other boy looked ready for a fight. Behind him, the rest of the Brotherhood got ready, just in case.

"Where's Ranma?" Scott growled.

Lance sneered. "How the hell should I know?" he asked. "I haven't seen him since lunch, and he wasn't in P.E."

Jean stepped in, trying to diffuse any hostilities. This wasn't the time for a fight. "Scott, we don't know that they did anything." She turned to the Brotherhood boys, explaining. "Ranma was called into Darkholme's office during Physics, and he never came back."

Pietro shook his head rapidly, guessing at what they were thinking. "No way, Mystique wouldn't have nabbed him like that."

"How do y'all know that?" Rogue asked, narrowing her eyes at them. "Ah've seen you tryin' ta recruit him all week. It's obvious Mystique wants him, Ah know what she's like."

"Yeah, we've been tryin' to convert 'im," Toad said with a shrug, "Boss lady told us to."

"We don't know why," Lance added, still glaring at Scott. "But she has been acting funny about the kid since she heard he was here."

"Yeah," Blob added, "Said somethin' 'bout Xavier gettin' to him before she even had a chance to talk t'him."

Pietro frowned. He liked the pigtailed kid, even if he was on the other side. He didn't want to see anything bad happen to him...at least, nothing bad he didn't inflict himself. "C'mon guys, lets go back to the house and see if Mystique knows anything." to the X-Men he added. "We'll let ya know if we find anything."

"Why are you guys being so helpful?" Kitty asked, confused. This wasn't like them at all.

Lance shrugged and gave Kitty a smile as he climbed into the driver's seat of his jeep. "Hey, we might not like you guys too much, but Ranma is kind of our friend. We're just as worried about him as you are."

Jean made a passive scan with her telepathy, then turned to Scott. "They're telling the truth. About all of it."

Scott stepped down. He didn't trust these guys, but he trusted Jean. "Okay..." he said. "Be sure to let us know if you find anything out, okay?"

Lance nodded as he started up his jeep and pulled away. The X-men turned around, heading back to Scott's car. "Okay," the red-shaded boy said. "We'll go to the mansion and see if he's there. If he's not, we'll get the Professor and see if he has any ideas."

* * *

Ranma snarled as he pummeled the wood beneath his fists, shattering the tree in front of him. Ignoring the blood that stained both his knuckles and the wood, he turned his head, searching out another tree to vent on. 

His mother was his enemy.

Strike after strike pounded against the defenseless oak, pieces of bark flying in every direction.

His mother. The woman he'd traveled across half the world to find, was with the other side. Not just with, one of their leaders! The woman who had deceived Rogue and tried to kill Scott.

The tree shattered. Ranma quickly located another one and got to work on it without hesitation. His knuckles were covered with blood, skin peeling off in some places. He ignored the pain.

She was one of the bad guys! Was that the reason she left him when he was just a kid? Did she not care about him enough to raise him herself? The others said she was sneaky, deceitful, and not to be trusted; did she lie about everything she told him? About wishing she had been there, missing him, loving him?

He couldn't feel his knuckles anymore, but he didn't stop his assault.

She was the enemy.

The tree split in half. Ranma proceeded to obliterate the remains.

She was the enemy.

He was pretty sure on of his fingers was broken.

She was the enemy. She had tried to kill Scott. She'd tricked Rogue, lied to her to get her on her side. She was mean, and cruel, and vicious... With everything she had done, it was obvious she was the enemy...

A sharp piece of wood flew back, gouging him above the eye.

...so why the hell, despite all of this, couldn't he think of her as the enemy?

Ranma looked for another tree.

* * *

Scott ran in through the front door, the rest of the team behind him. "Ranma!" he called out. Spotting Logan at the top of the stairs, they ran up to him. "Logan, have you seen Ranma anywhere?" 

Logan grunted. "He's in the back turning tree's into toothpicks. He won't talk to anyone." he answered, "What the hell happened."

Scott and the others rushed in the direction, not answering Logan's question. Growling, the older man grabbed Kurt by the back of his shirt as he ran past. "Elf! What the hell is going on?"

"Ranma vas called into Darkholme's office today," Kurt replied, glancing over his shoulder at where the others disappeared. "He never came back to class. Ve've been very worried."

Darkholme's office? "Mystique..." Logan growled. "Did she do somethin' ta him?" reflexively, his claws popped out of his from between his knuckles.

"Ve don't know!" Kurt exclaimed, porting out of Logan's grip.

The Canadian mutant growled, debating whether or not to go after the kids or hunt down Mystique. Choosing the former, he followed after the kids. He wanted answers.

* * *

When they arrived, the teens found Xavier, Ororo and Tofu standing at the edge of a scene of destruction. The remains of over a dozen trees scattered the area, most reduced to mere woodchips. About twenty feet away, Ranma was pounding away on another one, which looked like it was soon to join it's brothers. 

Rogue let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding in upon seeing him. She had been worried sick Mystique had taken him from her. Them. From them.

The three instructors, looked over at the students, worry evident on their faces. "Do any of you know what this is about?" Ororo asked, gesturing. "He won't talk to anyone."

"Principal Darkholme called him into her office during around 1:30," Jean said, watching the destruction out of the corner of her eye. "He never came back."

Tofu adjusted his glasses. "That's because he's been here, decimating the local flora."

Xavier sighed to himself. So that's what was going on. Mystique had told Ranma, and he obviously wasn't taking it well that his mother was with the opposition.

Rogue silently watched, concern etched on her face. What had happened to him. Feeling something poking into her side, she saw Kitty nudging her and gesturing towards Ranma with her head. Nodding, she slowly approached him from behind. So busy he was in his destruction, he almost jumped when she touched him on the shoulder. "Ranma?"

He turned around, hands clenched in bloody fist, dried blood leading down his cheek from a gouge about his eye. "Oh mah god," she exclaimed.

Ranma glanced down at his hands. "It's not as bad as it looks..." he mumbled, looking back up at her.

"Ranma, what tha hell happened?" she asked, looking over his hands. His knuckles were caked in dried blood, numerous tears in his skin all over his fingers.

"Mystique..."

"Mystique?!" Rogue narrowed her eyes. "What about her? What'd she do?" Neither noticed the others approaching from behind, listening in.

Ranma snorted. "Not much," he answered, his voice bitter, "only gave birth t'me."

Rogue's eyes widened. "What?" she whispered, unable to believe what she had heard. Gasps and one "What tha hell?" came from the group behind them.

"She's my mother," Ranma said angrily, turning back to the tree he'd been working on, striking it with every word. "She's the enemy, and she's my mother!" he snarled.

Rogue grabbed him by the shoulder, turning him back towards her. "Ranma, yah can't believe her! She's got ta be lyin', tryin' to trick ya inta doin' somethin' for her!"

He barked out a bitter laugh. "She ain't lyin'." he shot back, "She had proof. Proof only my mother could have. Besides," he smirked, although it was devoid of it's usual warmth or arrogance. "Pops always said my female form," he invoked the change as he spoke, a ripple over him as his form shifted, "looked just like her."

The eyes of everyone present widened significantly as they watched the boy change from a male of average height and long black hair into a short, busty girl with blue skin, long red hair and yellow eyes.

Ranma noticed looks of abject shock on the faces of his friends, then smacked himself in the forehead. Oh, right, she hadn't told them about this yet. "Uh, yeah, guess I forgot to tell you I can do that."

* * *

The Brotherhood arrived at their house to a sight that would stay with them until the end of their days. 

"Yo, Pietro," Toad asked the boy standing next to him, his eyes locked on the scene before them. "Smack me in the back of my head, wouldja? I think I got somethin' crazy lodged in my eye." Pietro ablidged the request, smacking Toad in the back of the head at supersonic speed. "Nope, still there."

"Hey, uh, Lance?"

"Yeah Freddy?"

"Am you seein' what I think I'm seein'?" The massive teen asked.

"That depends, Freddy," Lance replied, the calm tone of his voice offset greatly by the look of shock and slight fear in his eyes. "If you think you're seein' Mystique slumped over the arm of the couch dressed in a kimono while slamming back a half-empty bottle of Jim Beam, then yes, I am indeed seein' what you are seein'."

"Oh," Freddy replied, "That's good then, I guess. I'm not goin' crazy."

"I never said that," Lance shook himself out of his stupor, walking over and nervously tapping Mystique on the shoulder. "Uh, hey, Mystique...?"

The blue skinned woman looked up and grinned widely. "Hey Lance," she slurred out. She held up the bottle. "Jim, thish ish Lance, Lance, Jim." she laughed drunkenly. "Jim'sh a buddy 'o mine, he shtopped in fer a vishit. Huh? Whatsh that Jim?" she held the bottle up to her ear. "Oh...I shee...Jim says ta get the fuck out, we want to be alone." she laughed, sliding forwards on the couch.

Lance shot the other boys a look of fear. "Mystique, what the hell is going on?" he demanded.

"I toldjou, me 'n Jimmy wanna be alone," she rolled over, face first on the couch, the bottle slipping from her fingers, the liquor inside spilling all over the floor. Within moments snoring could be heard.

The boys exchanged looks of confusion.

Mystique shifted in her drunken sleep, causing a small piece of paper to fall out of her kimono. Toad noticed it and snagged it with his tongue, bringing it over to the group. "Hey, what's this?"

Looking it over, they saw it was a slightly crumpled picture of a blue woman, obviously Mystique, wearing a purple sun dress and holding a child in her arms, both appearing to be laughing in joy.

"Weird," Blob said, taking the picture from Toad to get a closer look"wonder who the kid is." he said, scratching his mohawk.

Toad, from his position right below the others, looked up and noticed something. "Hey, there's some writing on the back."

"Lemme see that." Pietro snagged the picture, flipping it over. "'Ranma, age 4'." he read aloud. The Brotherhood exchanged glances, then looked between the drunken woman and the picture several times. Looks of comprehension appeared on Lance and Pietro's faces after a minute, confusion still reigning supreme over Freddy and Toad.

"Woah," Lance said, slumping down into a chair. "This is some heavy shit."

"Uh...what is?" Freddy asked.

"Moron!" Pietro declared, smacking him in the back of the head, "Don't you get it? Ranma going missing, boss lady here drunk of her ass, the picture... obviously, mommy and her little baby boy had a family reunion that didn't go quite so well."

"Actually, only one person endin' up drunk is a great family reunion in the Tolansky clan," Toad interjected pointlessy.

Freddy stared at Pietro dumbly. The silver-haired teen sighed in frustration. He sometimes wondered if the larger boy's mutation had replaced his brains with more muscle. Rapping the Blob's head with his knuckle several dozen times in the space of a second, Pietro simplified it. "Hello?! Ranma is Mystique's son! He was in her office today, he went missing afterwards, and now we find mommy here drinking. Obviously they met up again and the reunion didn't go so well."

"Oh."

Pietro rolled his eyes. "Just take Mystique up to her room and put her to bed. Face down, so she doesn't choke on her own vomit if Jimmy decides to leaves the way he came in."

Nodding, Freddy did as told. As he picked her up, he grunted as her shape suddenly shifted to a fat Asian Elvis, decked out it suede, sequins and rhinestones.

Sighing, Pietro collapsed on the couch, rubbing his forehead.

"So, uh, what do we do now?" Toad asked, scratching his head.

"Shut up, I'm thinking."

* * *

Later that night, Ranma sat with Xavier in his office. His wounds had been cleaned, and an explanation about his shape-shifting had been given (although Xavier had explained it as a secondary mutation instead of a curse, and Ranma didn't bother to correct him). 

Ranma scratched at the bandages on his hands. "I'm sorry 'bout the trees Professor," he apologized after giving his account of what had happened between him and his mother. "I guess I kinda went overboard there."

Xavier sighed, shaking his head. "No, Ranma, I should be the one apologizing. I had my suspicions about your mother when you first showed me your transformation, but I didn't say anything."

"Huh?" Ranma asked, "You knew?"

"I didn't know for sure," the Professor replied, "until this morning, when I spoke with Mystique about it, and she confirmed my suspicions." He looked up at the pigtailed boy. "Ranma, she told me quite a bit about the extenuating circumstances behind her leaving you as a child. It wasn't her choice, and she has suffered everyday since." she hadn't said those exact words, but Xavier had picked it up from her surface thoughts.

"Yeah..." Ranma said, looking down at his hands, "She said tha same thing t'me. I don't know why I reacted the way I did...I just started thinkin' 'bout all the things everyone around here had said she'd done, and...I dunno... I thought she was the enemy, y'know? Since she's with th'other side 'n everythin'. And then I find out she's my mom, and I just kinda..." he trailed off.

Xavier nodded. "I understand, Ranma." he said kindly, "It must have been a big shock to the system to have so much happen at once."

"Yeah," Ranma agreed. "Thing is... I don't believe anythin' I said. No matter how hard I try, I can't think of her as my enemy now... she's my mom."

"Ranma," Xavier said gently. "Perhaps you should tell her that."

Ranma blinked, then nodded. "Yer right..." he smiled. "Thanks a lot, Prof. For, y'know, talkin'."

The Professor smiled. "Anything I can do to help, Ranma. You can always talk to me, or Tofu, or anyone here if you have a problem. We're family here, as Evan showed us a few days ago, and we help each other out when we need it."

Ranma smiled as he turned and walked towards the door. "Yeah..."

Xavier sighed as Ranma shut the door. He truly hoped things went well this second time around. Although he was often at odds with Mystique, he didn't want to see her nor Ranma suffer because of this.

He knew Ranma wouldn't desert the X-Men for her, despite their ties by blood, but he couldn't help but worry about it. Ranma was a great asset to the team, and his training of the other students in the martial arts was beneficial. Most importantly, though, he had become a part of the family at the mansion, and Xavier considered him, along with his other charges, the children he never had.

What's more, they were the physical, living manifestation of his dream, helping foster it along, even bolstering his own confidence in it when he felt it slipping at times.

He would do anything for his charges, and would fight for their happiness as they fought for his dream.

* * *

Rogue was standing outside the door when Ranma exited Xavier's office. She flashed him a smile, which she returned, and fell in step beside him. 

"So how're yah doin'?" she asked.

"I dunno..." he replied.

They walked in silence for a few minutes.

"Ah can't b'lieve Mystique's yer mom," She finally said. Smirking, she added. "Ah also can't b'lieve yah can turn inta a girl."

Ranma chuckled. "Yeah, you wouldn't believe how I freaked the first time it happened." he paused, "I gotta go talk t'her."

"Yeah, Ah guess so," Rogue responded. She didn't like Mystique, but she knew Ranma needed to do this. "She lives at tha Brotherhood house. Ah can show ya where it is if yah like."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, sounds good... but I know you don't like mom, and I don't blame ya, after everything ya said shes done. Ya don't havta come if ya don't want to."

"Yeah, well Ah want to." She smiled, "so deal with it."

He chuckled as they made their way down the stairs. Opening the door, they almost walked right into Kitty, who was about to open the door from the other side.

"Oh, hey Ranma," Kitty said, "I was just coming to look for you. Like, Lance is outside the gate, says he needs to talk to you about something."

Ranma nodded, silently heading out into the night, Rogue at his side.

Kitty smiled, mouthing the word 'yes!' and pumping a fist into the air as she saw them together. They looked sooo cute!

* * *

Lance looked over from where he was leaning against his jeep when he heard the gates open. Seeing Ranma and Rogue step out, he waved to them. "Hey, Ranma!" 

"Yeah?"

He pointed his thumb over to thi jeep. "Hop in. You gotta talk to your mom."

Ranma blinked. "So ya heard." he said, climbing into the passenger seat. He turned to Rogue as she climbed into the back. "Uh, I have a ride it turns out, so ya don't have ta lead me there..."

She shot him a half-hearted glare as she buckled her seatbelt. "Ah toldja I was comin', so Ah'm comin'."

Lance snickered as he started up the engine. "Yeah, we heard." he said, answered Ranma. "We got back to the house after school, and she was a wreck. Lyin' on the couch..." he paused. He didn't want to say 'drunk off her ass'. Crying? Unlikely, considering Mystique, but it fit the situation. "...sobbing and bawling her eyes out."

Ranma winced. "Yeah, that's kinda my fault."

"So what happened between you two?" he asked.

"Long story." Ranma replied. "Don't wanna talk about it."

Lance nodded. That was the answer he'd been expecting.

* * *

The Brotherhood lived in a pretty nice place, Ranma observed silently as he stepped inside. Well-decorated, decent amount of space... 

Pietro, Freddy and Toad were sitting around the TV when they got there. "Mystique's upstairs," Pietro said, jerking a thumb towards in the general direction."She's been asleep for the past couple hours. I can go up an-"

"Ranma?"

Ranma looked up the stairs to see his mother at the top, wearing a blue bathrobe. She had slight bags under her eyes and her hair looked like it had been slept on. She had a worried yet hopeful look on her face.

"Hey...mom." He greeted her. "Um...can we go for a walk or somethin'?"

Mystique nodded silently, the hopeful look in her eyes gaining ground against the worry. A ripple passed over her form as she walked down the stairs, leaving her with the same body, but fixing her hair and removing the bags under her eyes. Her bathrobe changed into tight black blouse and a pair of black jeans.

Ranma glanced over at Rogue as Mystique reached the bottom of the stairs. "You gonna be okay here by yerself?"

Rogue snorted, looking over the boys. "Ah could take alla these losers in mah sleep if they even had the guts ta attack me."

Ranma grinned. "Alright then..." glancing at his mother, she nodded and they headed out the door.

Rogue looked over the four boys seated around the room.

The Brotherhood looked over Rogue from where they were seated.

Pietro shrugged and scooted over, "Well, take a seat toots. CSI: Miami is about to come on."

She glared at him. "Jus' so we're clear, Ah don't like any of you."

Toad shrugged. "So? We don't like you either."

Rogue smirked as she took the seat offered. "Ahright, as long as we have tha boundries established."

* * *

Ranma walked alongside his mother in silence for several minutes. He had thought over what he was going to say on the drive over to the Brotherhood house, but now that he was here with her, he couldn't seem to find the words. 

Mystique nervously glanced over at her son, fearing that he might denounce her again while hopeful he would do the exact opposite. She had been thinking over what she was going to say to him, hopefully to avoid whatever mistake she had made earlier in the day.

"I'm sorry." They both said at once. Blinking, they both chuckled nervously, rubbing a hand against the back of their heads. "Sorry 'bout that." they did it again.

Ranma blinked. So that's where he got it from. "I'm sorry," he repeated, "'bout how I reacted earlier... ya kinda surprised me with everythin'."

"I'm sorry I didn't come to you sooner," Mystique apologized, "and for not preparing you better when I did tell you. I was just... afraid."

"Yeah... " Ranma said. He was at a loss now. He'd apologized, but couldn't think fo any more to say.

Fortunately for him, his mother continued talking. "I'm not sure how to do this," she started. "As you have probably determined from what Xavier and his... X-Men... have told you, I'm not the type to usually apologize." she glanced at him. "What... what exactly have they told you?"

"Uh..." How could he put this nicely? "They've said you're a sneaky, conniving, deceitful, cruel bitch who eats puppy dogs for breakfast." He winced. That obviously wasn't it.

Mystique laughed. "Well... except for that last part, that is all true. I won't deny it." she paused, wrapping her arms across her chest. "You know, I had been hoping to get you on my side."

Ranma smirked. "Yeah, right. Like that was gonna happen."

Mystique smiled. "Yes, I should have assumed that. Genma did raise you after all, it figures you would have picked up his ideals, as foolish as they are." she looked over at him. "I won't sugarcoat it, sweetie, I have no intention of changing sides in this conflict. I've dedicated myself to the faction I've chosen, put most of my life behind it, and sacrificed a lot. Including the time I wish I'd been able to spend with you while you were growing up."

"Is that where you were all these years? Fighting for this cause?" Ranma asked, frowning slightly.

Mystique nodded sadly. "I would have preferred to be with you, but my superior required my services on several matters. I had no choice. But," she said, anticipating him and cutting him off, "do not think that I consider anything I do more important than you, Ranma. I cannot and will not give up my role in this conflict, but I cannot lose you again, either, not after I was forced to give up your little brother. Yes, you have a half-brother, but that's for another time." Seeing him nod, she finished. "I want to try and be a part of your life, despite our opposing views."

Ranma nodded. He had a brother? He would defnitely be getting more info on that later. "I think I understand," he said. "I don't exactly like it, knowin' I'm sidin' against my mom, but I'm with the X-Men now, and I don't plan ta leave. I like it there. The others are like family ta me."

"Are you sure?" she asked, a slightly pleading look in her eyes. His answer was what she had expected, though.

"I'm sure. I ain't gonna change sides."

Mystique nodded sadly. "Your father made me agree to let you choose which side, if any, you would take in this conflict. I don't like it that you're opposing me, but I won't try to change your mind." she smirked. "I'd love it if you came over willingly, though."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Right mom.. Not gonna happen."

Mystique laughed. "I didn't think so."

"But I wanna have ya in my life too," Ranma added. "12 years with jus' Pops... I missed ya, mom."

Mystique smiled, taking him into her arms and hugging him tightly, smiling wider and shedding a few tears as he responded in kind. "I missed you too, sweetie." She whispered, her voice overflowing with emotion.

They held the embrace for several minutes, then separated and continued walking.

"So how we gonna do this?" Ranma asked, "this whole, 'be a family while still bein' technically enemies' thing?"

Mystique thought for a moment, then answered. "We'll just be us. Mother and son. When we're together, there will be no talk of politics, ideologies, plans, or anything of the sort. No fishing for information or anything."

Ranma nodded. "That sounds good."

"I will still be scheming, of course," His mother said with a smirk.

Ranma mirrored the smirk. "An' I'll still be tryin' to stop yer schemin'."

They walked in silence for a time.

"Although..." Mystique said. "My birthday is coming up, and I've always wanted to get my hands on Cerebro..."

"Mom..."

"Fine, fine... so, do you have any girlfriends?"

* * *

"Ah don't get it," Ranma heard Rogue say as they re-entered the Brotherhood house. "What's tha difference between this an' tha regular CSI?" 

"Duh," Pietro said. "This one is set in Miami." he looked over at Ranma and Mystique. "So, how'd it go? Did it get all emotional and angsty? Is everyone happy now?"

"Shut up, Maximoff," Mystique said with a growl as Rogue got out of her seat and joined Ranma. "Lance, give them a ride back to Xavier's." she turned to Ranma. "And are we still set for Saturday night?" she asked, in a slightly nicer tone.

Ranma nodded. "Yep."

She smiled, leaning in and giving him a kiss on the forehead. "Alright, sweetie, go on home now. You have school tomorrow."

Ranma blushed slightly and rolled his eyes. "Mom..."

Lance stood up, grabbing his keys out of his pocket. "Alright, quit the bonding crap. I ain't got all night. Ow!" The last was said as Mystique smacked him in the back of the head.

Giving her son a quick hug, she watched them leave for a moment before heading up the stairs to her room, smiling happily once she was certain no one could see her.

* * *

After Lance had dropped them off, Ranma and Rogue walked slowly up the path to the mansion. 

"So, Ah take it from that little display of affection back there that things went well?" Rogue asked with a smile.

Ranma nodded, grinning. "Yep. We came to an arrangement 'bout the whole 'opposite sides' thing. No discussin' secret stuff when together." he chuckled nervously. "Now I just gotta convince the others of this. I doubt Scott or Logan are gonna be willin' to trust me or her on this."

"Ah still don't trust her," Rogue said, frowning slightly. "But Ah trust you."

Ranma smiled as he opened the door for her, following her in after she went through.

The pair were greeted by the faces of all the other residents of the mansion.

Ranma blinked. "We're ya all just waitin' here for us ta come back?"

Logan snorted. "'course not, pigtail. We do have lives, ya know."

Kurt grinned. "No, ve took shifts! Only one of us vaited at a time!"

Logan groaned. Leave it to the elf to embarrass them all...

"So, Ranma," Xavier greeted with a smile, "How did it go?"

Ranma looked at the assembled group and shrugged. "Good," he yawned. "I'll tell ya 'bout it tomorrow, though. I'm beat."

Not giving them a chance to protest, he leaped forward, vaulting off Logans head and dashed to his room.

Rogue took a step back as everyone's eyes turned to her. "Don't look at me, Ah just watched CSI tha whole time."

* * *

End Chapter Five

* * *

Three chapters in three days. How the hell am I doing it? 

So there ya go, Ranma finally met Mystique. And they've come up with a way to still be a family while being against each other on the battlefield. Lets see how well that works out...

The Genma and Soun thing... I wanted to make Soun get off his ass and start doin' shit, partly because I wanted to make the family self-sufficient after Nabiki leaves, and partly because I simply felt like making Soun get over his wife's death and stop cryin' all the time. That gag only works when he appears often, and he ain't gonna appear too often from here on out.

Nabiki's powers are starting to develop, as you can see. And Kocho's little palm tree is part of his mutation. Why? Because the thought amused me.

Another thing that amuses me is writing Mystique to very out of character when she acts all motherly and whatnot. And writing her drunk.


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter would have been done sooner, but I went out to a hookah bar with my friend Matt last night and didn't get back until 1am, and was thus too tired to write.

**Evolution 1/2**

* * *

Disclaimer: If you claim ownership intellectual properties belonging to other people in the woods, and there is no one there to hear it, will you get sued? I'm not in the woods, so I can't test this out. Ranma 1/2 and X-Men: Evolution do not belong to me. And I suppose I should disclaim Tenchi Muyo! as well. While I'm at it, throw in Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z, and Will Ferrel. Not that any of the last three appear in this fic, but whatever.

* * *

Chapter Six

* * *

_**Okayama**_

Cologne should have expected something like this. She really should have. What's more, she should have been far more suspicious of Nabiki's information on Son-In-Law's whereabouts. At the very least, she should have checked it out herself before coming all this way.

Upon arrival, Shampoo had immediately noticed a black-haired boy with a pony-tail, jumped to conclusions, and within record time had been defeated by another man. A man as skilled as Ranma, about as attractive...

"Airen!"

"Gah!"

"GET AWAY FROM MY TENCHI!"

...and with just as many women after him.

"More tea, Elder Cologne?"

Smiling, Cologne nodded, "Thank you, Sasami," she said graciously. Such a sweet child.

The Masaki Shrine was as good enough a place as any for this little test. It was technically against the rules to change subjects in the middle of an exam, but Shampoo needed to learn when to give up. The Impossible Goal training was essential for any future Matriarch to go through. And it was much more peaceful than Nerima, without the illogical weather patterns. She'd miss the pigtailed boy, and hoped to see him again one day, but why waste money and time on the search when the same goal could be accomplished just as easily right here?

Besides that Katsuhito fellow was a total hottie. Yowza! She hadn't seen an ass like that in centuries! If she were only 220 years younger...

* * *

Nabiki knew she was intelligent. It was one of the things she prided herself on. In a district with crazed martial artists, curses, and various monsters, she had the advantage over nearly all of them when it came to her intellect. With few exceptions, she could manipulate and out-think any one of them. And intelligence was in short supply in Nerima, which meant being smart was also very profitable. Basic economics. Law of supply and demand. She had a monopoly on the supply of brains in the district, and the residents had great demand. So they always came to her when they needed to know something. 

The disadvantage to this, was when she needed to know something, there weren't many people she could turn to for answers. What's more, admitting she did not know something was very high on Nabiki's list of "Ways to NOT Make A Profit."

She could go to Cologne, if the ancient Amazon hadn't been sent on the wild goose Nabiki herself had set up. Over a week the Amazons had been gone, which was a surprise to her. She didn't expect them to stay in Okayama this long. They had to know by now that Ranma wasn't there.

Jiro Shinkasa, one of Ranma's friends he didn't think she knew about was another option, but she didn't know him, and didn't trust him. Anyone who had an information network that massive, and claimed they didn't use it for anything other than the fun of it, was obviously hiding something.

Nabiki sipped her tea, smiling as her headache receded even further. She was quickly becoming addicted to the stuff. Not only did it bring the headaches down to a more manageable level, allowing her to actually think clearly, it tasted damn good too.

Returning her thoughts to the matter at hand, Nabiki asked herself one question.

_'Am I going insane?'_

She had begun to hear things. Ever since the worst of the headaches last Wednesday, when Kasumi had first introduced her to the tea, she had been hearing things. Voices, to be exact. Never speaking directly to her, though, and the voices sounded slightly muffled, like they were trying to speak through a wall. At first, she had wondered if it might be something in the tea, but soon came to the conclusion that the effect would not last this long if that was the case.

The most recent incident, which had happened during dinner a mere ten minutes previous. Her father had announced that he and Genma were re-opening the dojo, which to Nabiki was a dream come true. Not that she cared much about martial arts, but this meant her father had finally begun to move on, and the dojo would begin bringing in profits, instead of sapping them. Before mother had died and her father had stopped teaching, they had done quite well for themselves. While not rich in any sense of the word, they had been far from the poverty line.

It wasn't the announcement, though, that had Nabiki thinking right now. It was what she heard her father say right after.

_'I hope I can still teach as well as I used to...'_

It was not his words that confused her, but the fact that he hadn't moved his lips when he said them. And since she was certain her father hadn't been studying ventriloquism, that left one of two options.

Either Nabiki was becoming schizophrenic, or she was actually reading other people's thoughts.

Which is why, on this Friday night, when most girls were out on dates or having fun, Nabiki was sitting in front of her laptop, looking up information of schizophrenia. From what she had read so far, she didn't have any of the symptoms, other than hearing voices.

Thinking logically, she realized she only heard the voices when she was around other people. Which actually led weight to the crazier idea that she _was_ hearing other people's thoughts.

Despite the illogicality of it all, Nabiki was thrilled by the potentail blackmail opportunities such an ability would present. She had always looked down on people who claimed to have such abilities, regarding them as frauds, although she admired their business sense. Performing a service people didn't truly need, using abilities they couldn't prove they had, and could easily be disproven if you were smart enough, and yet still able to rake in the cash. If she thought she could do it, she'd have entered that racket years ago.

But maybe there was some truth to it all. Some research might be needed...

Nabiki's eyes widened as her web browser opened a new tab and started a web search for the word 'telepathy.' This was getting too weird.

* * *

Kocho stared out the window in the den of his ancestral home, his eyes a milky white. If one were to follow his gaze far enough, they would find he was staring directly at Nabiki Tendo. 

"Tendo will fully awaken tomorrow," he muttered to himself, "Mystique needs to be informed."

He picked up his cell phone.

* * *

Ranma observed the other students as they practiced the forms he had given them earlier. It was Friday morning, two days since he'd met his mother, and he was taking the opportunity to train his friends before breakfast. Based on what Lance and Pietro had told him, he knew that at the Brotherhood house his mother was doing the same with her charges. 

Logan stood next to him, silently contemplating the matter of the boy's mother. He had told them of how things had gone the other night, and of the deal the had made, but Logan was suspicious. Not of the boy; he thought he knew the kid well enough to get a good read on his character, and betrayal was not an aspect of it. He was far more worried about Mystique keeping her end of the bargain and not trying to use the kid to fish for information. He'd mentioned his concerns to Xavier, but the man had told him he trusted Mystique on this, if not on anything else. From what he'd been able to determine, the woman truly loved the boy, and betraying his trust - thus possibly damaging her relationship with him - was at the very botton of her list. Logan still wasn't convinced, but until the shapeshifter tried something, there was nothing he could do about it.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he observed the students as they practiced the kata Ranma had demonstrated for them earlier. He'd approached Ranma a week ago, asking him to aid in the physical combat lessons he usually gave the students. One day in, and Logan had gone from teacher to student. Not that he minded, not much at any rate. The kid could teach, and Logan found he had more to learn. "So," he asked in a low voice, "it's been a week since ya started with 'em. Whatta ya think?"

"They all got potential," Ranma answered. "in very different areas. Scott seems the most physically skilled of 'em, but he over-commits way too much on his attacks. He needs to loosen up quite a bit. Saotome-ryu Anything-Goes should work well fer that. Most importantly, though, is if he doesn't have his shade or visor fer some reason, and he can't use his powers, he's almost helpless. Blind fighting and enviromental awareness are most essnetial.

"Kitty's not a front-line fighter. Her phasin's a nice ability, but she needs ta work on her reaction time and reflexes." he smirked, "she could annoy tha hell outta her opponents if she dodgin' all tha time, only ta have 'em find they couldn't connect a hit if she was standin' still. Gotta work on her pain tolerance too. Ninjitsu as well, ta help with the stealth role she tends ta take."

"I can help her with that," Logan grunted. "Got some ninjitsu trainin'."

"I noticed," Ranma nodded, "Evan. Weapons training, definitely. Blades, pole-arms, bludgeoning, throwing, whole nine yards. Mix that up with standard karate and also increase his pain tolerance.

"Kurt's got some amazin' agility and a decent amount of speed, which makes him perfect for Saotome-ryu Anything-Goes." Ranma smirked, "Add in his 'portin', he could be devastatin', deceptive, and tricky as all hell, all traits of the Saotome school.

"Jean..." he frowned. "Tai chi, _maybe_ some ninjitsu. Meditation ta work on her concentration 'n focus, she _might_ be able ta start usin' those psychic powers while fightin' hand-to-hand, but if what I've heard about telekinesis is true, it ain't likely. Pain tolerance needs work too.

"Rogue. Speed 'n strength trainin'. Reflexes. She needs ta have the skills ta get in close if she ever needs ta touch someone in a fight. See how she takes to basic Saotome-ryu, then maybe show her some of the more advanced stuff. Along with that...ninjitsu, maybe some tai."

Logan nodded at his assessments. He'd thought the same about the elf's teleporting before, and everything else Ranma had said made perfect sense to him. "And me?" he asked.

Ranma shot Logan and amused glance. "Yer pretty well-rounded, know a decent mix o' styles. Some basic Anything-Goes can help ya fully integrate 'em. I noticed you tend to drop all martial arts when yer in an actual serious fight, though. Relyin' on yer claws, healin' factor and berserker rages instead."

Logan snorted, but didn't deny any of it. "Martial arts is more a hobby for me, pigtail. Helps keep me the calm and tolerant man you all know an' love."

Ranma raised an eyebrow. Logan, calm and tolerant? He stifled a laugh of disbelief. "Better have 'em wrap it up," he said, walking towards the practicing group. "Alright, stop! From a line!" he yelled, his voice becoming hard and unyielding as he fell into sensei mode.

The students stopped practicing and did so, silently thrilled to be able to stop. Outside of training, Ranma was the same as ever. During, though, he was an uncompromising slave driver. They had yet to have a session where they didn't finish exhausted and sore. Even worse, was if they decided to try and take a break, he would leap in and attack them to make them keep going.

Ranma walked down the line. "I got some good news and some bad news fer you losers." he growled. "First off, the good news. I've made my various assessments of yer skills and weaknesses over the past week, so trainin's gonna be different from here on out. More specialized." he smirked a decidedly unpleasant smirk. "Tha bad news. The days of the nice sensei are over. Yer asses are mine, and they are gonna be hurtin'."

The other X-Men gulped and exchanged worried glances as he began cackling maliciously.

* * *

"Alright, fools," Mystique said, glaring at her fallen charges, "That's it for today. Get your asses inside and get to school." 

The Brotherhood let out a collective groan as they pulled themselves off the ground and staggered inside the house. Mystique rolled her eyes as she watched them go. "Figures the losers couldn't even handle a light workout like that..." she muttered. Sure, said light workout had involved a three-mile run - Pietro forbidden from using his speed - followed by an hour and a half of non-stop push-ups, sit-ups, and some light sparring, but it was nothing compared to what she had been put through when Genma had trained her. Why, in her day she'd have been tied with raw steaks and made to run from wolves by now.

Ah, memories.

Heading into the house herself, shifting into her Principal shape as she walked, she grabbed her briefcase and was halfway to the door when her cell phone rang. She sneered at it as she saw who it was.

"Kocho," she greeted coldly as she flipped the phone open. "Give me good news or slam your head through the wall to avoid me the trouble later."

"Tendo will manifest tomorrow." Kocho replied on the other end, "Her abilities have already started to develop."

Mystique smiled. "Excellent. I'm on my way now."

As she put her phone away, she smacked her hand against her forhead as she suddenly remembered. "Dammit, I'm supposed to have dinner with Ranma tomorrow night." No way she was going to be able to get to Japan, recruit the girl, and get back in time...

Hesitating for a moment, she made up her mind and found a legal pad, writing out a quick note. Business had to come before pleasure, in this case. Ranma would be willing to reschedule, but if she didn't get to Tendo first, Xavier would swoop in and take another one from her. He'd already gotten her son, she wouldn't let him take another potential.

Grabbing Lance by the arm as he passed by, she handed him the folded note. "Give this to Ranma when you see him today," she growled. "I have business to attend to. I should be back sometime Sunday."

"Yeah, alright..." Lance muttered, pulling his arm away and heading for the door with a slight limp. Why the hell did he have to play errand boy?

"And prepare the empty bedroom." Mystique called after him, "You're getting a new teammate."

Lance smirked at that. It was about time they got someone new; the geeks were outnumbering them by far too many for his liking.

* * *

"Survival training?" Kurt asked, taking a bite of his waffles. 

Xavier nodded. "Yes, Kurt. This coming Monday you will all, with the exception of Ranma, be taking a wilderness survival training course at the Ironback Survival Camp, offered through Bayville High School's ROTC program. It is a rigorous course, and one I personally endorse."

"Why do we need survival training?" Kitty questioned as she reached for the milk carton. Finding it empty, she shot a brief glare at Evan and reached for the orange juice instead.

"And why isn't Ranma required to go?" Scott asked.

"Because I find it imperative that you be capable of living in harsh conditions, should the need ever arise," Xavier explained, "This course will see to that and then some." he looked over at Ranma, "Ranma doesn't have to go because he has spent the last decade of his life learning to survive in harsh conditions, and I do not see how this camp, as extensive and difficult as it is, could compare to what he has already learned."

Scott nodded, seeing the logic in it. "Alright, Professor."

"But..." Ranma asked, "What if Ranma wants ta go?"

"Uh, camp?" Evan asked nervously, "As in, trees and wild animals and natures? No sidewalks, burger joints or indoor plumbing?"

"Ah don't know if Ah can do it," Rogue said, "No, scratch that; Ah KNOW Ah WON'T be able ta do it. Ah never liked camps."

"C'mon guys, it'll be fun," Jean said, "It's a chance to get out of the city, re-commune with nature."

"And get eaten by bugs," Evan grumbled, his eyes widening,"And bears. You do know there are bears in the woods, right? Big, ferocious beasts who love making a meal out of city kids."

"What if Ranma wants ta go?" Ranma repeated. This trip sounded like fun. He hadn't fought a bear since he was eleven.

"Do we have any other options, Professor?" Kitty pleaded, "There, like, has to be a way we can learn all of this without having to go to some lame camp."

Xavier smirked, steepling his hands in front of his face. "You do have another option."

"Great!" Evan exclaimed, "What is it?"

Xavier's smirk widened. "Survival training at Ironback...or with Logan."

The entire table fell into silence. Logan shot them all an evil smile as he chewed on his bacon.

"I'll... have to think on that,." Evan said nervously. The others nodded in agreement.

"What if Ranma wants ta go?" Ranma repeated again, a little angry at being ignored.

"Alright, Ranma," Xavier sighed, "you can participate if you wish. Now, you all have to get to school. Give me your decision by the end of the day."

Glancing at the time, the students plowed through their breakfasts and raced out the door.

* * *

Mystique reviewed the report Kocho had emailed her as the private jet soared over the Pacific Ocean. 

"'Network telepathy...'" she read aloud, a small smile crossing over her features, "'the ability to link numerous minds together, allowing for telepathic contact between all participants in the link. Additionally, user can draw upon the mental energies of all the minds in her 'network' without any detrimental effects to the others involved...' Interesting..." that would be supremely useful. The X-Men had two psychics, three if you counted that non-combatant doctor. And now she would have one as well. It would be nice to have someone to counter the abilities of that redheaded girl.

As long as the Tendo girl had a link established. Apparently, her telepathic abilities unlinked were limited to reading surface thoughts and sensing falsehoods. The fact that links must be willing on both ends made things a little more difficult, but it wasn't anything they couldn't get around.

Her cyberpathic talents would prove useful as well. Tendo could access information networks with her mind, and process information at high speed while filtering out what she didn't want. With some training, she might even be able to alter programming with a thought. Mystique wondered if she would be able to hack into Cerebro, but then discarded the notion. If Charles knew of cyberpaths, he would have built protections into Cerebro as a precaution; and if he didn't, once Cerebro picked up information on Tendo, he would do so anyway. Especially when he found out Mystique had recruited the girl herself. Which meant she would go with her original plan for getting access to Cerebro's files.

Putting that plan aside for the moment, she returned her attention to the Tendo report. Reading through the girl's personality profile, she smiled. Intelligent, ruthless, ambitious, with a love for money. Little regard for personal privacy and the feelings of others. _'A business woman,'_the shapeshifter thought to herself, _'hmmm...'_

Mystique smiled as a plan began to form in her mind. Yes, that would work perfectly to bring the Tendo girl to her side. Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed.

"Kocho, contact one of your lawyers." she told him, smirking, "I have a plan..."

* * *

The bell rang and Ranma was out the door before it had even stopped reverberating. Biology was fun, kinda, but not nearly as important as lunch. 

Turning the corner to head down the stairs, Ranma felt something latch onto his arm. Almost jumping in surprise, he looked down to find Melinda attached to him in a manner not unlike Shampoo. "Uh...hey Mel."

"Hey Ranma," she greeted with a beatific smile, "C'mon, your eating with me today. We have to plan our date tonight." The last part was said with a giddy giggle.

Oh, crap. It was a date. "Uh...yeah, sure." he said nervously. How did he get into this again? Oh, right...his stomach. Damn you, stomach. As if in protest, he heard a low rumbling come from said organ.

She continued smiling. "I even brought you a lunch today, so you don't have to wait in line," she said, holding up a second brown paper bag. "It'll be like a pre-date date, y'know? Just us two." She fluttered her eyelashes.

Ranma gulped. "T-thanks, Mel. That's nice a ya."

She latched tighter onto his arm. Dammit, where the hell was a revenge-crazed martial artist when you need one?

* * *

Ryouga, wandering through cornfields in Iowa, wondered why he had the feeling he just missed his cue.

* * *

_'Damn you, Ryouga,' _Ranma thought angrily, '_I so set you up for that!'_

Entering the cafeteria, Melinda still on his arm and chattering away, Ranma shot a pleading look at his friends, sitting at their usual table. 'Help me' he silently mouthed to them.

Amused stares and laughing were his only reply. 'Traitors,' he shot back silently.

Melinda pulled him over to an empty table along the back wall, sitting them down. Pulling out her lunch while somehow remaining on his arm, she handed him the one she'd made for him. Ranma sighed. At least he'd get food.

"Yo, Saotome."

Ranma looked up with hope as Lance came walking towards the table, a folded piece of paper in his hand. Oh, thank you Lance, you are my new best friend! Get me out of this and I'll sing your praises on the street corner for all of time!

"Got a note from your mom," Lance said, handing him the folded slip of paper as he sat down, ignoring Melinda's glare. "Apparently I'm her personal errand boy now," he grumbled.

Ranma took the note and opened it up. Damn, she had to cancel for tomorrow night. He'd really wanted to question her about that brother she mentioned him having. Half-brother, whatever. "Damn," he muttered, refolding the note and putting it in his pocket.

"Your mother?" Melinda asked, "Why is Lance delivering a note from your mom?"

"Because she asked me to, blondie," Lance retorted, "mind your own business."

Melinda glared at him. "Excuse me, we want to be alone right now."

Raising an eyebrow, Lance looked over to Ranma who was shaking his head slowly and mouthing the words 'No we don't! Stay!'. Smirking, he stood up. "Right, whatever. I did my good deed for the month. I'm outta here. Later Saotome."

Melinda smiled up at Ranma as Lance walked away. "Good, now it's just the two of us." she said happily, "Although I can't help but wonder why your mom sent a note with that guy instead of just telling you herself."

"Uh...I don't see my mom often," Ranma answered, struggling to find an explanation that made sense without revealing too much. "She knows Lance though." Smooth, Saotome. No way she would question that.

"How does Lance know her? Will I get to meet her?" She asked teasingly.

"Have you ever been called into the principal's office?" Oh, crap, did he just say that outloud? Stupid, Ranma, stupid!

The blond girl's eyes widened. "Principal Darkholme?" she asked, "SHE'S your mother? You don't look a thing like her. Does this mean you're half-American? Oh my god, that is so weird!"

Ranma sighed as Melinda went on. _'Goddamit, I'm an idiot,'_ he thought to himself angrily.

* * *

"Look at him," Scott said quietly, obviously amused, "he has no idea what's going on." 

Kurt chuckled. "Ah, I know how he feels. To be have such animal magnetism, it is a curse ve both share."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Why did he even agree to go out with her?" she asked. Those two were so not right for each other.

"Ranma said he didn't realize it was a date," Evan answered, chuckling. "But from the looks of it, he knows it now."

Scott grinned. "He's so lost it's not even funny."

Kitty pouted. "This wouldn't be happening, if like, you guys had agreed to help me get him together with Rogue." she accused.

"We told you before, Kitty, "Jean said as she sat down at the table. Duncan and the rest of the football team had been forced into a lunch practice today, and Jean really didn't feel like watching a bunch of sweaty muscle-bound boys running around in tight uniforms. As much fun as it would be. "We're not going to butt in on their personal lives. Whoever they decide to date is their business. Besides," she added, "how do you know he doesn't just really like Melinda?"

"Have you looked at him over there?" Evan asked, gesturing with his thumb, "The guy is scared out of his mind. You'd think he was afraid of pretty girls or something."

Rogue joined them at that moment. "Hey guys, sorry Ah'm late." she said, opening her lunch. "Ingersol made me stay afta' to discuss mah paper fer some reason." she glanced around the table, then frowned. "Ranma get coerced inta eatin' with tha chatterbox again?"

"Uh...sorta." Scott said, trying not to chuckle as he watched Melinda keep up her death grip on Ranma's arm.

Following his gaze, her eyes narrowed as she took in the sight on Ranma being forced to sit with Melinda. "Ah see... " she said slowly. She really didn't like the blond girl. "So it looks like he realized it's a date."

Evan snorted. "Can ya see how much it scares him, too?" he asked, "He probably doesn't even think of her that way, but he's too much of a wuss to try and get out of it."

"Ah don't care," Rogue said unconvincingly, "What Ranma and that bimbo do is none o' mah concern, porcupine." she shot Evan a glare "So what do ya think about what tha Prof said this morning?"

"Well, lets weigh the pros and cons of each," Jean said, accepting the Southern girl's attempt to change the subject. "We either go to this camp, which is very highly recommended and even endorsed by the Professor..."

"...or we have survival training with Logan." Scott finished.

The table was silent for several minutes.

"Y'know..." Evan finally said, "maybe the camp won't be so bad."

"For sure," Kitty agreed, "definitely have a better chance of surviving the camp than like, surviving Logan's idea of training."

* * *

On the way back to the mansion in Scott's car, the rest of the X-Men questioned -read: teased - Ranma about his lunch-date with Melinda. 

"So," Kurt asked with a grin, "Vhat are you and the little lady planning on doing tonight?"

"She's havin' me take her to a movie, that's all.." Ranma sighed, "How tha hell did this happen? I kept tryin' to find a way to cancel, but whenever I was actually able ta get a word in edgewise, I choked!"

"I don't get it," Scott said from the driver's seat, "Why are you so against going out with her? She's a total babe."

"She's...just not my type," Ranma answered, then muttering, "Damn overly-affectionate women..."

Rogue smirked. "Most guys would jump at tha chance ta have a girl like her on their arm," she said. Sure, she didn't like that he was going out with her, but the opportunity to tease him about it was just too good to pass up. Besides, he obviously didn't want to do it, which for some reason made her feel a lot less apprehensive about the whole thing.

"I ain't most guys," Ranma grumbled. Dammit, now Rogue was making fun of him.

* * *

Ryouga continued walking. He didn't know where he was, but he knew Ranma was close. Not that it mattered much to the Lost Boy; he would find Ranma eventually, no matter where he was on the planet. He always did. 

His training with Magnus had proved more useful than he thought. His massive reserves of ki, now under his control, allowed him to go far longer with food or sleep, almost two days straight as of now. While this drained him considerably, it allowed him to keep moving instead of having to take breaks for such time-wasting, albeit necessary, activities.

He almost felt bad about not thanking the man. Almost.

Far above the Lost Boy, Magneto floated in the air, his cape fluttering in the wind and his face obscured by the shadows of his helmet. He knew the boy would leave, and he knew what the boy was leaving to do. He had lost the chance to bring Ranma to his side, and Mystique had made that foolish deal with him, so he was forced to resort to other means. Letting Hibiki attempt his revenge on Saotome had always been a part of the plan, but with Mystique's recent actions regarding her son, he was forced to release the boy sooner than he'd anticipated.

It was of no matter, however. Hibiki would never have made a good follower, but that did not mean he could not be used like one...

* * *

"Okay," Ranma said, stepping into the common room, "I need some help." He was dressed in nothing but a pair of boxers and an annoyed frown. 

Kitty eeped in embarrassment at Ranma's flagrant disregard for modesty and phased into the couch. A moment later the top of her head and her eyes popped up from the cushion. Next to her, Rogue simply stared, a deep blush on her pale face.

Scott looked up from his homework. "With what? Shouldn't you be getting ready for your date?" he asked with a smirk.

"I'm tryin'," Ranma shot back, "But in case ya ain't noticed, I don't have much in the way of clothes, an' what I do got is all in the wash."

"Ah, I gotcha," He replied, "Well, anything I have would be too big on you, I think...Kurt?"

Kurt shook his head. "All of my clothes have holes in the back," he said, waving his tail around for emphasis.

Evan stood up, thrilled at the chance to get away from his History paper for a while. "C'mon man, I think I might have something for you. You're not much taller than me, so should be able to fit into my stuff."

"Damn." Ranma said. He'd been hoping he could use that as an excuse to get out of this. Sighing, he followed behind Evan.

Rogue shook her head as soon as Ranma was out of view. "Mah god, doesn't that boy have any sense of modesty?"

"Well, like, to be honest, it's not like we haven't seen him in less." Kitty replied, her hands instantly covering her mouth and her eyes widening as she suddenly realized what she'd said.

Scott and Kurt both looked at the two girls, eyebrows raised.

"Um, I mean..." Kitty stumbled for words while Rogue put her face in her palm.

* * *

Not too long afterwards, Ranma walked out of the mansion. He was dressed casually, wearing a white button-up dress shirt and black dress pants. Both were tight on him, his frame slightly larger than Evan's. Hands in his pockets, he casually jumped over gate and continued walking. "May as well get this over with.." he muttered to himself. 

Not that he didn't like the girl, but she reminded him too much of Shampoo with her overly-affectionate ways. That and she talked too damn much. How can someone speak so often and so rarely have anything worthwhile to say?

"No matter," He said to himself, "If all goes accordin' ta plan, this'll be a one-time thing." Ranma conveniently forgot that nothing ever went according to plan for him.

Back at the mansion gates, Kitty popped her head through the wall and looked down the street. "Okay," she whispered. "He's far enough away. We should, like, be able to follow him without being caught." Stepping completely through the wall, she reached back into it and pulled another person through.

Roguse sighed in annoyance. "Why are we doin' this?"

"Because you so want to see how this date goes as much as I do," Kitty whispered back as they began walking, making sure to keep Ranma in her sights. "Because you like him. Because it gets us away from Scott and Kurt and their questions about what I accidentally said." she blushed at the last one, then added. "Take your pick."

"Ah don't care about this stupid date," Rogue retorted, but continued to follow along. "And blabbin' ta Scott and Kurt was yer fault."

Kitty smiled slyly. "So you admit you like him."

Rogue scowled." Jus'...jus'... be quiet and don't lose sight of him." She shot Kitty a glare as the younger girl giggled.

* * *

Logan entered the common room, looking around. "Any of you kids seen Rogue, the half-pint or pigtail around anywhere?" 

Kurt glanced over from his laptop. Damn it was hard to type with only six fingers. "Ranma is off on a date," he supplied.

"And I think I saw Rogue and Kitty sneaking off to follow him." Scott added, not looking up from his Physics.

Logan growled. "Damn kids have no respect for authority anymore," he bit off, turning around. "Don't they realize they're still grounded?"

Leaving the room, Logan grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. He'd find those kinds, them back, then ground 'em for another week. His hand was on the doorknob when he felt a presence in his mind.

_'Logan, please meet me at Cerebro,'_ It was Chuck. '_A new mutant has been detected.'_

_'Why don't you get Storm?' _he asked.

_'I would, but you're the one who speaks Japanese,'_ The professor replied, '_and Tofu is currently indisposed_

Logan sighed, then turned away from the door and headed up the stairs. He'd just get the kids after he got back. '_On my way, Chuck,' _Oh well, at least he'd get to visit the island again.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Nabiki whistled a happy tune as she walked into the schoolyard with her sister. Her research the night before had proven most enlightening - that Wikipedia page on comic book superpowers had been especially helpful- and, after some practice, she was no longer accidentally picking up other people's thoughts. 

Purposefully, on the other hand...

She smirked inwardly. _'Students of Furinkan High, prepare to be blackmailed.' _She thought to herself, anticipating the piles of money she could make with her strange new abilities. Sure, she was a little freaked out by the fact that she could apparently read minds and surf the internet without even needing a computer - she was even checking her online stocks while she walked, after connecting to the wireless server the school had sprung for - but ever the opportunist, Nabiki was easily able to realize the money-making potential in being able to hear people's thoughts.

"What are you so happy about?" Akane asked, shooting Nabiki an odd look. Nabiki being this happy usually meant someone was going to become much poorer.

"No reason, little sister," Nabiki replied, "Just feels like a good day," she took a big, pronounced whiff of the air. "Ah, the smell of profit in the morning."

Akane rolled her eyes. "Is money all you think about?"

Nabiki shot her sister a smirk.

Akane sighed. "Right, stupid question."

Nabiki grinned as the first bell rang. heading inside, she waved to her sister and went into her own classroom. Sitting down next to Kuno, she shot her favourite mark a predatory smile and held out her hand. "3,000 yen."

Reflexively, Kuno handed the money over without question. Blinking, Kuno scowled. "For what, Nabiki Tendo, am I handing over mine own meager funds? Mayhaps you have pictures of mine dearest loves?"

"Nope," Nabiki said quietly, counting the bills in her hand as she made a quick scan of Tatewaki's surface thoughts, idly wishing she could go deeper, "Just think of it as a donation to the 'Please-don't-tell-people-I-sleep-in-a-Sailor-Uranus-outfit' fund."

Sputtering and flushing a deep red, Tatewaki leaned in closer. "Vile woman! How dare you blackmail the great Tatewaki Kuno, or even dare to suggest spreading such base lies about his personage in the first place?!" he hissed, his voice and face filled with rage. "You have no proof of such a-"

"Did you manage to mend that nasty little tear in the crotch, Kuno-baby?"

Kuno blanched and visibly wilted. "Upon further thought, such a cause seems a worthy venture for the noble Kuno clan to make regular donations to." he mumbled.

Nabiki smirked. Life had just became a whole lot more fun.

* * *

Principal Darkholme strode confidently through the gates of Furinkan High School. She didn't even look as she was joined by her subordinate, who fell in step easily beside her. "Kocho," she greeted cooly. 

Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, Kocho responded. "Raven. Thank you for coming on such short notice"

"Did you prepare the items I asked for?"

"I did. They are waiting in my office." Kocho responded. "The Tendo girl has fully manifested as of a few hours ago, and appears to be using her powers to con money out of the student body."

"Excellent. Take me there and then bring the Tendo girl down. I have a feeling Xavier will be on his way soon."

Kocho scowled at the mention of the name. "Of course." Reaching the door that led to the basement, he opened it for the woman and followed her down the stairs after she passed through.

Upon reaching the 'office', Mystique turned to Kocho with a raised eyebrow. "This is your office?" she asked in a tone of faint amusement, "A simulated tropical paradise."

Kocho grinned. "It helps with the cover," he explained as they walked up the stairs of the raised hut in the center of the basement, "Although I do admit a certain affection for the islands."

Mystique snorted. "Whatever." she replied as she sat down behind the desk. "Page the girl."

Nodding, Kocho pressed a button to activate the intercom. "Hey, dis be da big kahuna. Nabiki Tendo, bring yourself on down to da Principal's island paradise wid'out delay! Da rest o' you keiki get back ta da learnin'!"

Mystique groaned. Couldn't he have picked a less annoying personality?

* * *

Walking out of the movie, Melinda on his arm, Ranma was forced to admit this date wasn't nearly as bad as the ones he'd been on before. No one had tried to slip him a love potion, or blackmail him into anything, or even interrupted with cries of demanded vengeance or accusations of betrayal. It was the lack of the last part that freaked Ranma out the most. At least people were stalking him, although it was a small comfort. 

Ranma looked around, as if expecting it to happen at theat very moment. Where the hell was Ryouga? He'd missed two cues now! If this kept happening, Ranma would have to re-evaluate the Lost Boy's position as chief rival and find a replacement.

"So, what did you think of the movie?" Melinda asked, smiling.

"It was pretty good," Ranma admitted. When they had arrived at the theatre, he'd been dreading the possibility the girl would pick a boring romance flick or some other such drivel. To his surprise, she had instead suggested "Rampage IV: The Explodening," a movie he had actually been wanting to see, for the promised advertisement of 'with explosions every five minutes!'

"Yeah, I loved the big explosion at the end that destroyed the killborg factory," Melinda giggled.

Ranma grinned. "An' when Slab Beefloin drove that cement mixer filled with C4 into the oil tanker!"

"Yeah! And when Agent Throatpunch fought that horde of cyborg zombie ninjas!" Melinda exclaimed, letting go of Ranma's arm and thrusting her fists in front of her rapidly, mimicking the fight scene. "That was the best Rampage movie yet! I love explosions!"

Ranma laughed, "Yeah, I ain't actually seen tha other two, though."

Melinda gasped. "You haven't!? Oh my god, I have them all on DVD, even the Ultra Platinum Special Edition Directors Cut of 'Rampage II: Return of the Killdozer' that's not legal for sale in the U.S.! You have to see it! C'mon!" She grabbed him by the hand and began dragging him down the street.

Blinking, Ranma asked. "Uh, Mel, where are we going?"

"My house! You have to see those movies!" Melinda declared.

* * *

"What are they doing?" Kitty whispered to Rogue from their concealment behind a large tree several yards away. 

"How should Ah know?" Rogue snapped. "Ah ain't no mind reader!"

"Shh!" Kitty hissed, holding up a hand, "They've stopped. Let's see if we can get closer."

Rogue sighed. "Why did Ah let ya talk me inta this?"

* * *

"Uh, I don't think that's such a good idea..." Ranma said, planting his feet firmly against the ground and forcing them to stop. He began sweating slightly as Melinda continued to try and drag him. "Mel?" 

Blinking, Melinda turned to look at him. "Why the stopping? Rampage is waiting to be watched, I can feel it!" she exclaimed with burning fervor in her tone.

Ranma blinked. She must REALLY like these movies. "I'm jus' thinking, y'know, it might not be such a good idea to come over ta yer house tonight." Stupid, Saotome! Just tell her you aren't interested in her in that way! "I mean, it was a fun night an all, but won't yer parents be upset ya brought some strange boy home?"

"No, they'd be thrilled!" Melinda exclaimed with a wide smile, "They've been asking to meet you all week!"

"Woah, what? They have?" Ranma asked, eyes wide, "Mel, don'tcha think this is movin' a bit fast?" he was surprised the intelligent and logical thought was coming out of his mouth. Maybe he was getting better at this 'relationship' thing.

"Uh...no?"

"Well, uh, I do," Ranma replied, shifting nervously on his feet, "I mean, yer a cool girl 'n all, an' a great friend since I got here, but..." he trailed off.

Melinda looked up at him nervously. "But...?"

"But I don't like ya the same way ya seem ta like me." Ranma blurted it out. "I mean, I had fun 'n all tonight, but...yeah... I see ya as a friend, s'all."

Melinda frowned for a moment, "You sure?" she asked.

Ranma nodded. Sighing, she smiled softly, eyes downcast. "Oh well... I guess I can live with that. Will you at least walk me home?"

"Sure," Ranma said. He didn't see any harm in that.

* * *

"Hehehehe," Kitty giggled lightly, a smile plastered across her face. "I so didn't think he had it in him to do that!" she nudges Rogue. "Looks like the playing field has cleared up a bit." 

Rogue shot her a glare as the two girls continued following from a distance, but said nothing.

* * *

Upon reaching Melinda's front door, Ranma turned to her and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, uh, despite all I said, I had a good time." 

Melinda smiled, a sly look in her eyes. "I'm glad..." she said.

Ranma began to wonder why he felt the sudden urge to flee.

"Ranma?" Melinda said, not looking at him. "I changed my mind. I can't live with that."

Despite all of his reflexes, Ranma remained paralyzed as Melinda grabbed him by the collar and pulled his face close to hers. "Momma always says to be persistent with what you want," she said softly, her breath tickling his lips, "So I'm not ready to give up just yet." With that said, she closed what little distance remained between them, pressing her lips forcefully against his.

* * *

Kitty's jaw dropped. She attempted to speak, but nothing intelligent came out. 

Rogue's fingers twitched as she felt the sudden urge to remove her gloves.

* * *

Nabiki apprehensively entered the Principals office/hut. She knew the man's reputation; it'd be hard not to at this point, with all the insane schemes he'd pulled since his arrival. Her hair might not look as glamorous as other girls, but she loved it, and if the insane Kuno patriarch so much as laid a finger on it, she'd personally make sure the Kuno line didn't further pollute the gene pool. 

Inside the hut, she saw Principal Kuno lying in his hammock, and an unknown Caucasian woman in a gray business suit sitting behind his desk. She had short brown hair and a stern face framed by black-rimmed glasses. "Ms. Tendo," she greeted in accentless Japanese. "Thank you for coming. Have a seat."

Recognizing the tone of her voice, Nabiki did as asked and put her own mind into full business-mode. "Why do I have a feeling this is not the standard visit to the principal's office?" she asked, her tone cool.

"That's because it isn't Ms. Tendo," Principal Kuno replied, causing Nabiki to raise an eyebrow at the pronounced lack of the man's usual dialect. "Ms. Darkholme here is an associate of mine, and has come to offer your a proposition."

"Thank you for the introduction, Kocho," The woman, now identified as 'Ms. Darkholme' said. "Ms. Tendo, in the interests of saving both your time and mine, I will get straight to the point. You have noticed some recent changes in yourself, correct?"

Keeping her face calm and devoid of any emotion, Nabiki casually replied. "Whatever do you mean, Ms. Darkholme?"

Darkholme rolled her eyes. "Please, Ms. Tendo. We know everything, don't waste time trying to hide it. You have been hearing other people's thoughts, have you not? Perhaps experienced some recent surprises when using a computer lately?"

"What of it?" Nabiki asked cooly. Opening her mind, her eyes widened as she felt herself blocked.

Darkholme smirked. "Kocho here has his own gifts," she said by way of explanation, her form shifting into her natural state as she spoke. "As do I."

Nabiki's eyes widened further. The woman had just changed form, without the aid of water! What's more, she was blue! "You..." she sputtered, her mask falling. "What are you?"

Mystqiue's smirk widened. "What are we, you mean." Opening her briefcase, she pulled out a file and handed it to the girl. "To forgo long explanations, read this. It is a file on you, what you are and the extent of your abilities. The latter I believe will prove you are far beyond what you have already thought youself capable of."

Eying the manila folder dubiously, Nabiki paged through it. After several minutes, she raised her head. "You can't be serious." she deadpanned.

"Kocho, drop the block." Mystique said. "If you wish, Ms. Tendo, you may scan my mind to determine the truth."

Doing so, Nabiki saw the woman was not lying. This was even weirder than she had thought. "Alright, so you are telling the truth. I'm a mutant, whatever that is exactly." She admitted. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"It has everything to do with anything, Ms. Tendo. I am here to offer you a business proposition." She replied. "I represent an organization that could greatly benefit from your gifts, and could offer you major compensation for your services."

"What organization would that be?" Nabiki asked.

"We are not officially named, as we prefer to exist... outside of human knowledge," Mystique replied. "for a variety of reasons. Humans are vastly unaware of our existence, and if they knew of us, they would fear us. Many would try to destroy us for the change we represent and for the differences we exhibit."

Nabiki nodded, understanding the reasons behind keeping such a group a secret. "And what kind of work would you have me doing? What kind of compensation would you be offering?"

"This and that," Mystique replied, with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "Various tasks we will have for you and the team you will be a part of. Compensation will be monetary; you will have a base salary, as well as bonuses for successfully completed missions."

Nabiki frowned. "Missions? I'm not a fighter; far from it. And nor do I wish to be."

"And nor will you be," Mystique countered with a smile. "The rest of your team, however, are. They need someone like you to direct them. Your work will be done behind the lines. Paid training will of course be provided to allow you to use the full potential of your powers." Reaching again into the briefcase, she pulled out another manila folder, handing it to the younger woman. "Everything you need to know is in the previous file, as well as this contract. If you wish to take us up on our offer, you merely have to sign it."

Looking over the contract, Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "This includes a five-year non-competition clause," she stated. "Does this mean there are other groups out there like yours?"

Mystique nodded. "Indeed there are, but you will find that not all of them offer the benefits that we do, nor would they pander to your more... unscrupulous, shall we say, activities? In fact, you will find our major competitors offer almost no compensation, nor the chance for greater profit in the long run."

Nabiki continued to look over the contract. Reaching the section that described her base salary, her eyes widened significantly. "You would really pay me this much? Tax-free?" she asked incredulously. "And why is it in American dollars?"

"We are an American-based organization, at the moment." Mystique said, "Although we do have branches in other countries, and are looking to expand as soon as we can. With your help, we may be able to do so even sooner than planned."

"This means I will have to relocate," She said hesitantly. Normally, she would be forced to turn down the offer right there. Not that she wasn't interested, far from it. But the recent news that her father was planning to reopen the dojo meant Nabiki wouldn't be forced to be the major breadwinner in the family any more. They wouldn't need her skills at money-making any longer, which meant she wouldn't be able to get away with as much as she did if she stayed. Still, relocating to another country was a major life changing decision.

"All relocation costs will be paid for, as will your food and housing in America." Mystique said. "You will still be attending school, so you need not worry about your education. We selected you from a number of worthy candidates for your intelligence, after all, so we will do whatever we can to help it flourish."

"This is a very tempting offer..." Nabiki said. "But I need some time to think about it."

"By all means," Mystique said, waving a hand in dismissal. "I would need your answer by the end of the day, however. Principal Kuno has agreed to let you take the rest of the day off from school in order to think on my offer. If it is satisfactory, I will meet you later tonight at you home for your decision, as well as informing your family if you decide to accept."

Nabiki nodded, standing up. "Is there anything else, Ms. Darkholme?" she asked.

"You will likely be contacted sometime today by one of our competitors, a Professor Charles Xavier," Mystique said. "By all means, I encourage you to listen to his counter-offer, but you will find he will not offer the same benefits and freedoms as we do, nor the chance for further profit." she paused, then added, "I would also caution you that he is also a telepath, although not in same manner as you yourself, though quite powerful. You may wish to guard your thoughts when you meet him."

Slipping the folders into her schoolbag, Nabiki nodded. "I will see you tonight with my answer." She said, then turned around and exited the office.

Mystique smirked. "How do you think that went, Kocho?"

"Your tactic of treating the meeting as a business move was brilliant." the man replied with a smirk. "Nabiki Tendo thinks of everything in such terms, and will likely be displeased with Xavier's pitch in comparison, especially if he speaks of ethics and ideology like he usually does. Not that it matters," he added. "She's already made up her mind."

Mystique's grin grew wider, her prominent canines exposed. "I simply must become a fly on the wall for that meeting," she said, "Just to see the look on Charles' face."

* * *

Nabiki sat in her room, reading over the contract yet again. She couldn't find any problems with it, to her surprise. The only thing that set her on edge slightly was the five-year non-competition clause, and that didn't bother her quite so much when she read that she would be allowed - and even encouraged - in continuing her extra-curicular business dealings. As long as she didn't do any unapproved work for any competitors, she essentially had free reign. 

Setting the folder aside, she picked up the other and paged through it. The informtation in this one had come as a great shock to her, especially the revelation that she wasn't human. She was a mutant, someone with an active x-gene, which set her apart from the majority of humanity This was a fact she intended to keep to herself, of course; revealing such information would make any potential clients wary of her, to say the least. Yes, keeping it a secret would be most advantageous in the long run, she decided.

Her powers sounded really cool as well. Not only could she read mind and use the internet with her brain, she was capable of so much more! She could link minds together, and with every mind in the link, he own telepathic abilities became stronger! Not to mention every mind in the link would be open to her, with all their secrets at her fingertips. And her cyberpathic abilities meant she would never need to study for a test again. Idly, she wondered at the extent of those powers; the information she had with her was rather inconclusive. Was she capable of downloading information directly into her mind as well as viewing it?

Putting such thoughts aside when she heard a knock at the door, Nabiki got up to answer it, placing both files in a locked drawer in her desk. "Yes?" she asked through the door.

"Nabiki?" It was Kasumi. "You have some visitors who would like to have a word with you."

"Coming," she answered, opening the door. It must be that other group Darkholme had mentioned. Follwong her sister down the stairs, she was greeted by two foreign men, one with a rather grizzled appearance, the other looking a bit older and in a wheelchair.

"Ms. Tendo," the bald man greeted with a smile. "My name is Professor Charles Xavier, and this is Logan. We were wondering if we might have a moment of you time."

"Sure," Nabiki replied neutrally. "Kasumi, is daddy or Uncle in the dojo?" Seeing her sister shake her head, she turned back to the men. "We can speak in there. Please, follow me." She showed them the way. "Sis, can you please make sure we aren't interrupted? Thanks."

Once inside, she shut the door and turned to face the men. "I know why your here." she stated bluntly.

"Then you are aware of your gifts," Xavier replied.

"Yes, yes,' Nabiki said. "I'm a mutant, I have special powers, etc, etc. That woman already told me."

Logan and Xavier exchanged a glance, a frown coming across the former's face. "What other woman?" he asked cautiously.

"Ms. Darkholme," Nabiki replied, "You know, blue skin, yellow eyes, changes shapes. She made a very compelling offer, I might add. I thought I would listen to what you had to say before I made my final decision."

Xavier frowned. Cerebro had detected Mystique's presence in the area. It seemed she had indeed gotten to the girl first. "If I may ask, what did she have to say?"

Nabiki shook her head. "I'm afraid I cannot disclose the record of our meeting. Not for free, at any rate," She smirked, "I will say, however, that she offered some very impressive and compelling benefits."

Xavier glanced at Logan, seeing a scowl on his face. "Well then, Ms. Tendo," he said, looking back to her, "I apologize for taking your time. Since you seem to have all the information I was going to give you about the changes you have recently experienced, there is no need for me to stay. I would strongly advise, however," he added, "that you take Ms. Darkholme's words with caution."

"He's right, kid," Logan interjected, "Mystique ain't one to be trusted."

Nabiki smirked. "Many would say the same about me."

Frowning, Xavier nodded as if deciding something. "Well then, if you have nothing to ask me, we'll be taking our leave. Thank you for the hospitality, Ms. Tendo, however brief it was."

* * *

Leaving the dojo, Logan looked down at the Professor. "Gave up kind of easily there, Charles." he said. "Mind tellin' me why?" 

Xavier sighed. "Mystique obviously got to the young lady first," he replied, "And from what I was able to sense, she has already accepted the offer. That girl does not care for ideology, nor would she for anything else we would have had to tell her. She is very intelligent, but seems to concern herself primarily with money. Even if we had managed to reach her first, she would have never fit in at the Institute."

Logan grunted. "I still say we shouldn't let Mystique just take her."

"We can do nothing to stop her, Logan." Xavier said. "Ms. Tendo is free to make her own choices, as is everyone else in the world, and it appears she has made hers." Thinking for a moment, he added, "And despite her avarice, she is not an evil person. It may be possible that her presence with the Brotherhood might help them more than it would help us to have her at the Institute."

Logan frowned. "Well, this was a wasted trip..." he muttered.

Xavier smiled. "It doesn't have to be, old friend." he said, "Come, lets do a little sight-seeing before we return. Let's take a little vacation; Storm and the good doctor can handle the children for a few hours."

Logan smirked. "There's a dojo I'd like ta visit," he said, "Be good to see how old Shinkasa's doin'..."

* * *

Ranma was vaguely aware of something in his mouth as Melinda kissed him. Absently he realized it was the girl's tongue. It was at this point he also realized he was responding to the kiss in a very encouraging manner. 

Melinda broke the kiss after a full two minutes, smiling sultrily up at him. Tracing a finger along his chest and up under his chin, she winked at him. "See you in school next week," she breathed, opening the door to her house and heading inside.

Ranma stood there for several minutes as his cognitive functions slowly returned to him. "Damn..." he said softly, turning and walking away from the house in a daze. She was way better at that than Shampoo...

Walking along, Ranma absently waved to Kitty and Rogue in their hiding place. "Hey girls...did you enjoy the movie?"

A 'eep' sounded from behind the tree, and Kitty stepped out sheepishly, pulling an unresisting Rogue along with her, who was staring at Ranma blankly. "Hey, uh, sorry, we um..." Kitty struggled for a good lie. Failing, she slumped her shoulders. "How'd you know?"

"I sensed ya just after I left tha mansion." He answered. "Also, ya ain't very sneaky."

Kitty raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem very like, upset about us stalking you."

Ranma waved it off. "All of my dates have stalkers," he chuckled, "in fact, that was tha only thing that felt right 'bout the whole thing." he sighed. "So I guess ya saw tha last part too, huh?"

"The kiss?" Kitty asked rhetorically, "Oh yeah, we saw it."

"Yeah..." Ranma chuckled nervously. "Told her I didn't see her that way, but tha girl don't take no for an answer..."

Behind Kitty, Rogue's expression turned serious, a look of determination crossing over her face as she took off her gloves.

"So...what are you going to do about it now?" Kitty asked, "Are you like, going to keep dating her even if you don't want to?"

Ranma shrugged. "I dunno...I ain't never been good at turning girls down... as you...Rogue? What are y-mmmmph!"

Ranma felt an odd sense of deja-vu as the goth girl walked up to him. Placing her hands on his cheeks in a soft caress, she pulled his face into hers in one smooth motion, pressing their lips together in a surprisingly hungry yet sensual kiss. He once again felt the now more-familiar and entirely pleasant feeling of another tongue in his mouth. His brain completely shut down, overwhelmed by the events of the night, leaving him only enough mental capability to respond to the action the girl had initiated, his hands moving to encircle her waist

Kitty stood there, mouth gaping yet again. This, she had not expected in the slightest. In her head, tiny versions of herself were jumping around, ecstatically proclaiming 'Yes!' over and over again. Kitty felt like joining them, but subconsciously realized it would probably ruin the moment.

After several minutes, Rogue finally pulled away, sucking on his lower lip for the briefest of seconds before pulling back completely, staring him in the face to gage his reaction. In the back of her mind she was intently trying to figure out what had made her do that.

Ranma stood unblinking, his mouth partly open and small line of drool hanging from it. His hands were still raised as if he were holding the girl around her waist.

After several minutes and no change, Kitty stepped up and waved a hand in front of his face. Getting no reaction, she turned to Rogue, who was blushing faintly when the full reality of what she had done hit her.

"I think you broke him."

* * *

The pen flew across the paper as Nabiki signed in the required areas. "Alright, Ms. Darkholme," she said, handing her the signed an notorized contract. "You wanted me, you got me." 

Mystique smiled as she put the papers away in her briefcase. "I certainly hope you are as pleased with this arrangement as I am... Network."

Nabiki smirked at the use of the codename. "I know I am. I don't make bad deals." standing up, she pulled a suitcase out of her closet and began to pack. "So when do we leave? And what do you plan on telling my family? Not the truth, I assume..."

"We depart as soon as possible," Mystique replied, "As for your family... a simple story of a scholarship you have won to a prestigious school in America should be convincing enough..."

* * *

End Chapter Six

* * *

Heh...I've had that codename for Nabiki planned since the very beginning. 

Nabiki joining the Brotherhood. It makes more sense to me than her joining Xavier. The X-Men represent the best in mutantkind, mutants who use their powers for the benefit of others. By contrast, the Brotherhood represents the negative side of mutant society, using their powers for selfish reasons and personal gain. Which one sounds more like Nabs? She'd never have been able to get away with her money-making habits at the Institute. Not to mention the Brotherhood needed someone to bolster their ranks.

And don't expect her to have a change of heart, either. She's signed a contract, so for better or worse, she's with the Brotherhood for the next five years.

Was Rogue and Ranma's first kiss what anyone expected it would be? It certainly wasn't what I had planned, but it's how it ended up. And come to think, I like it better than how it was originally planned to happen.

Ryouga will finally catch up to Ranma next chapter, which will take place during the episode 'Survival of the Fittest.'

That's all I got for now. Thanks for reading and keep those reviews coming (they actually encourage me to write faster, both the good ones and the bad).


	7. Chapter 7

**Evolution 1/2**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own nothin'. Lemme alone.

* * *

Chapter Seven

* * *

"Genma." 

His eyes widening slightly, Genma turned around. "Raven," he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?" he asked, after looking around to make sure no one else was present in the dojo.

Raven smiled as she shifted into her natural state. It was a smile without even a hint of malicious intent behind it, a smile reserved for only a select group of people. "Now Genma, is that any way to greet an old friend?"

The martial artist smiled, stepping forward and engulfing the woman in a tight hug, which she eagerly returned. "Raven, it is so good to see you again."

"And you... Script," Mystique replied with a smirk.

Genma groaned as he pulled away from the woman, making a face. "You know I hate that name..."

"Ah, but your reactions are just too good to pass up the chance to use it," she teased.

"As wonderful as it is to see you, Raven," Genma said, then paused. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Mystique shot him a look. "Ever the blunt one, Genma," she muttered, "I was merely in the neighborhood-"

"Recruiting," Genma interrupted.

"-and I thought I'd stop by and see what you were up to." she finished, ignoring his interjection.

"I see," Genma said, adjusting his glasses. "Which of the girls have you decided to take?"

Raven frowned. "I am not taking anyone, Genma," she replied, "Nabiki Tendo has come to my side willingly. I know you prefer to take the neutral stance on this matter, but you know my dedication. And the girls powers are rather fascinating, and will prove greatly beneficial to the cause"

"Much like her mother's I assume," Genma said, dropping the matter of Raven's choosing to bring one of the Tendo girls into the conflict. He knew he wouldn't change her, and the fact of the matter was she didn't want to change. And he would respect that. "Psionic in nature?"

Raven nodded. "Indeed. An interesting form of telepathy, as well as cyberpathic talents."

"Has Ranma found you yet?"

"Yes," She said with a small smile. "He grew up as handsome and manly as I thought he would. Our first meeting did not go so well, but he's willing to give our relationship a chance... despite being on opposing sides." she made a face. "He joined Xavier."

"As I suspected," Genma said with a smirk, which quickly vanished. "Erik has taken an interest in the boy."

"I know," Mystique said nervously, "And I'm fearful of what intentions he might have, especially after-"

"I know, Raven," Genma said soothingly. Blinking, he looked up and towards the doorway. "Someone is coming. You had best change back."

"Right...must still give the cover story to the girl's family," Doing so, Mystique turned to Genma, and added almost as an afterthought, "And next time we talk, you can try to explain why you tried to engage our son to so many... humans."

Genma grinned nervously.

* * *

"Not bad..." Nabiki commented as she took in the interior of her employer's home. Much larger than the dojo, and much nicer too. While the traditional style of the Tendo home was pleasant, Nabiki had always had a preference for the more modern methods of decorating. 

Continuing her examination of her surroundings, she saw three boys lazing about on a pair of couches, staring at the television. They hadn't appeared to even notice the new arrivals. Taking advantage of their current state of inattentiveness, Nabiki observed them more closely. They were, after all, her teammates and possible subordinates.

The brown haired boy was kinda cute, in a very grungy kind of way. The smaller kid on the bean bag chair was ugly as hell, especially with the slight greenish tinge to his skin and slightly-squashed face. The man-mountain with the mohawk next to the brown haired boy was the biggest guy she had ever seen. How he had even managed to fit through the door was a question she was certain would haunt her until her dying day.

Mystique growled slightly as she marched up to the boys. "On your feet!" she commanded.

The short ugly boy leaped into the air with a surprise yelp, grabbing on to the overhead light fixture. Looking down, Nabiki could see his face was filled with fear. "Jeez, boss-lady!" he whined, "Do ya havta scare us like that all the time?!"

Mystique ignored him as she made a point of looking around the room. "Where is idiot number four?" she demanded, "I made it clear that I expected the entire team to be here when I arrived."

The brown-haired boy jerked a thumb casually towards the patio door. "He's out back, practicin'."

The blue-skinned woman blinked, then smiled. "Well, at least one of you is showing some kind of initiative to improve himself."

"Hardly," the boy snorted, "he realized building some muscle would make the girls want him even more." he rolled his eyes, "You know how he's jealous of your kid in that department."

"Well, get him in here, Alvers," Mystique ordered. Feh, like the silver-haired boy had a chance of competing on that level with her manly son.

Lance grumbled as he stood up. Mystique ignored his muttering about being forced to be her personal errand boy yet again.

Toad finally noticed the new arrival and hopped down from the light fixture. Sauntering up to her, he spit in his hand and slicked back his hair. "Heya sweet-cheeks," he greeted with a nauseating grin, showing off his horribly yellowed teeth, "I know why you're here."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Oh do you now?"

He grinned even wider, striking a pose. "You're here to see the Toad!" He exclaimed, "My reputation must be proceeding me."

Rolling her eyes, Nabiki responded. "Yes, I heard there was a abhorrent little gnome here, and I had to see it for my own eyes," she smirked, "And here I was worried I'd have to pay admission."

The larger boy still on the couch laughed loudly as Toad clutched his heart in mock pain, "Oh, she hates me, however will I go on?" he smirked at her, "No matter, sweetums, you'll come around. The ladies always do."

"I'm sure." Nabiki replied. Anything else she might have said was interrupted by Lance re-entering the house with a shirtless and sweaty Pietro in tow.

Nabiki looked appreciatively at the new arrival. Nice body, pretty-boy face, exotic silver hair. Not as good as gold, but she still had a fine appreciation for silver. _'Not bad,'_ she thought to herself, '_not bad at all.'_

"Alright," Mystique said. "This is Nabiki Tendo, aka Network. She is your new teammate..."

"Cool," Lance said, not looking very impressed.

"...and your new superior." she finished.

"WHAT?!" Lance exclaimed, anger passing over his face, "Mystique, I thought I was the field leader for the Brotherhood!"

"And you still are," Mystique replied, unperturbed by Lance's outburst. "despite the less-than satisfactory job you've been doing. Ms. Tendo, however, is to be deferred to on all other matters, unless your orders come from higher-up."

"But why does she get preference over us?" Pietro asked, annoyed. Dammit, Magneto needed to indulge in more nepotism!

Nabiki smiled sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes. "Maybe it's because I'm prettier than you?" her smile turned into an arrogant smirk. "Or maybe it's because I managed to negotiate that aspect of the job into my contract."

The Brotherhood boys collectively blinked. "She's got a contract?" Pietro asked incredulously, breaking the silence.

"Of course I do," Nabiki replied, making a show of cleaning her fingernails on her blouse and examining them, "Don't tell me you boys didn't think to have one written up when you joined?"

"Alright, enough of this," Mystique spoke up, "She's in charge because her powers make her perfect for the role. Not to mention she's smarter than you lot put together. Lance is still in charge of tactics, so stop bitching, all of you!" she lowered her voice, "Now, tell what, if anything, has been happening while I was away."

"Uh..." Lance tried to remember if anything important had occurred, "The loser squad signed up for the ROTC program's survival camp thing." he said finally, "We signed up for it too, just to humiliate them." he left out the other reason they'd signed up, which was to simply get out of class for a week. "It starts tomorrow, goes the whole week."

"Hmmm..." Mystique thought to herself. While she was a little annoyed they had done something like this without consulting her, she also hated Xavier's group having any advantage over her own. And with the X-Men away from the mansion...yes, it was the perfect opportunity to use that brute to get at Cerebro. "Excellent," she finally said. "Network will be going with you, to help you get used to being a team."

Nabiki winced slightly. Survival training? She didn't like the sound of that. While she kept herself fit, she didn't think she was fit enough to withstand a survival camp.

"Now, your five get better acquainted," Mystique said, heading up the stairs. "I have business to attend to."

The four boys stared at the addition to their ranks for several minutes. Finally, Nabiki walked over to the couch and sat down. "Alright," she told them, her tone all business, "this 'loser squad' you mentioned. Give me all the information you have on them. Names, powers, anything you got."

* * *

Ryouga hadn't slept for three days. Nor had he eaten. He found he simply didn't need to; his massive supply of ki was enough to sustain him. He had no illusions it would last forever, as he could feel his reserves slowly but surely draining from the lack of such necessities. But at the moment, he couldn't bring himself to care. 

Ranma was close. He could feel it. Tomorrow, he would have the fight with his rival he had been looking for, and with his newfound power, Ranma stood no chance against him. He would see the pigtailed jerk beaten and broken before him, begging for mercy as he admitted Ryouga's superiority.

Then, he would have Akane. By all rights, Ranma had given up any claim he had on the wonderful girl when he ran away like the coward he was. He knew upon returning to the dojo with news of Ranma's defeat, Akane would leap into his arms in happiness. Oh, Akane...

Forcing himself from falling into another fantasy, Ryouga continued to trudge through the forest, forcing himself to concentrate on his goal. Fantasy would become reality soon enough, anyway.

Ranma would fall before him. There was no doubt about that. Ryouga had more power than Ranma could ever dream of; sure, it was due to a quirk of genetics, but it was an advantage nonetheless. Ranma had no such advantage, and would fall before Ryouga's might.

After all... what could the pigtailed boy possibly do against his power?

* * *

Sunday afternoon at the Xavier Institute was normally a day of relaxation. No training sessions in the Danger Room, hopefully no fighting with the Brotherhood, and, if the residents were lucky, no one even fought over the remote. 

This Sunday afternoon, however, two residents were feeling anything but relaxed.

The others were quite aware of this fact. The looks the two avoided when they passed each other in the halls. The distance they put between each other during meal times. The blushes that erupted on their cheeks whenever they accidentally made eye contact.

They knew. Something had happened, and they were out of the loop.

With the exception of Kitty and Jean, that is. The younger girl had told the psychic what had happened, and the pair of them spent the entire weekend giggling whenever Rogue and Ranma crossed paths in their presence.

The others in the mansion were highly confused by it all, and slightly annoyed that Kitty and Jean weren't telling.

* * *

Rogue was in her room, humming along to The Sisters of Mercy and attempting to not think about what had happened Friday night. She was failing miserably. 

_'Ah kissed him,'_ she thought to herself, the same three words on a constant repeat in her head ever since the event in question. Why the hell had she done that? How the hell had she worked up the courage to do it? She had never been so bold in the past with other boys, although that was more because of the skin condition her foster mother Irene had told her she had, and after that the emergence of her powers. But still, it was completely against her nature to do such things.

Hadn't she spent the entire time since his arrival telling Kitty she wasn't interested in him in that way? That she only wanted to be his friend? Rogue had no intention of entering into a relationship based on the simple fact that she could touch the boy. What she had told Logan before had been the pure truth; Ranma's very existence and immunity to her touch meant there had to be more mutants out there with similar powers. He was far from her only hope.

But when she'd seen Melinda kiss the pigtailed boy, something inside her had just snapped. Where before, she was able to admit to herself an attraction for the boy, after she just felt the burning need to claim him for herself, which had resulted in the kiss. The damn good kiss. Rogue could still taste him on her lips.

Ah, dammit. She wanted him, and she knew it.

Her musing was interrupted by a knock on her door, which she ignored. The knocking persisted, and she sighed. May as well deal with 'em now. "Door's open," she declared from her bed. Hell if she was gonna get up for someone who was bothering her.

"Hey," Ranma said, peeking his head inside. Rogue blinked and shot upright. "Uh...you busy?"

"Um..." Rogue stammered. Damn, she had been expecting this, but not so soon! She'd thought they had at least another few days of stammering and blushing before they actually talked. "Uh...no, Ah guess not. C'mon in."

Stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him, Ranma sat down on Kitty's bed, across from Rogue. "So..." he said.

Rogue blushed slightly, staring back at him. "So..."

Neither said a word for the next several minutes. Rogue could have sworn she saw a tumbleweed pass by outside the window, despite them being on the third floor. She was nervously glancing around the room and back at the boy across from her, wondering what he was going to say. And he was going to say something, because she sure as hell wasn't planning to start the conversation.

"So..." Ranma said again, "About... the other night..." he licked his lips. He really wasn't good at this kinda thing.

Rogue bit her lip, "Y-yeah?"

"It was... nice." He finally managed to stammer out, looking at everything but her. "Really nice..."

Rogue smiled weakly, blushing a deep red. "Yeah..." she agreed, "it was..."

"I ain't... I ain't too good with this sort of thing, y'know?" Ranma said, forcing his nerves away, "I ain't ever had anything actually real before, an' I don't know if I'm ready to have anythin'."

"Ah understand," Rogue replied, "I ain't ever done nothin' like that before neither," she admitted.

"So..." Ranma said, finding himself yet again at a loss for words. "I don't wanna rush inta anythin'..."

"Right," Rogue agreed.

"So...maybe jus' take it slow, y'know?" he said, smiling a little less shakily now, "Jus' stay friends fer now, slowly take the whole thing step-by-step... or whatever..." he finished lamely.

Rogue nodded slowly. "Sounds like a good plan," she replied. "Don't wanna screw it up before it even has a chance ta start."

"Right," Ranma said, smiling, "Been there, tried that, found it don't work at all."

Rogue laughed, feeling herself become much less nervous about the situation. "Ya gotta tell me 'bout that sometime," she said.

"Heh... no I don't." Ranma replied. Glancing at the time, he stood up and headed for the door, "I gotta go finish packin' for that camp thing tomorrow," he said, heading out the door.

Rogue blinked as he left. Oh, right, that stupid survival camp. She'd forgotten all about it.

Sitting up, she started gathering her own things to pack when something about the previous conversation suddenly hit her.

Did either of them even once say they liked each other?

* * *

The sun hadn't even risen as a group of students sleepily waited in front of Bayville High School. 

Arriving at the pre-decided meeting spot, the X-Men, to their chagrin, were soon joined by the Brotherhood. Even worse, there was a fifth person with them, a Japanese girl with short brown hair. She wore a pair of short jean shorts and a much-too-tight blue tank top. It seemed their foes had added another to their ranks, someone they had no knowledge of... with the exception of one X-Man.

Ranma cringed and hid behind Kurt as he recognized the newcomer. What the hell was she doing here?!

"Alvers," Scott growled as he caught site of them, "What are you delinquents doing here?"

"Merely eager to learn survival skills, Summers," The other boy replied with an amused smirk as he tossed his bag over his shoulder. "I can understand why you losers are here, though. The lot of you need all the help you can get."

The unknown girl stepped forward, smiling coyly at Scott. "Mmm..." she said, tracing a fingertip up his chest and underneath his chin. "So you're Scott Summers... they told me about you, but they didn't say anything about how cute you were."

Jean frowned from behind Scott. She didn't know why, but this new girl was getting on her nerves already.

"Uh..." Scott said dumbly, "Who... who are you?"

"Hmmm..." she replied, still tracing her finger along the contours of his muscles beneath his tight tank top. "That's the ten-thousand dollar question, isn't it? I'm afraid I can't part with that information for free..." she smirked, pulling away and looking directly at Kurt. "But Ranma-kun back there might be able to tell you..."

A loud "Dammit!" emanated from behind the German's back. Straightening up, Ranma sighed and moved to confront the sister of his former fiancée. "What are YOU doin' here, Nabiki?"

"I could ask you the same question, Ranma-kun," she countered, crossing her arms underneath her breasts. "You disappear in the night, leaving only a couple of notes with no real explanation, and a bribe to keep me from finding you." she frowned as something occurred to her, "Which I will be keeping, despite having found you anyway. You would not imagine my surprise when my new colleagues mentioned you as one of these 'X-Men' they do so hate."

"So... Yer with tha Brotherhood," Ranma said, taking a quick glance around to ensure the non-mutant students with them weren't within hearing range, "I guess that means Mom recruited ya tha other day." So that's what she had canceled their meeting for.

She smiled, tapping him on the nose. "Got it in one, Ranma. I always knew you were smarter than you looked." her smile made a slow transformation into a smirk, "I've always been curious how smart... let's take a look, shall we?"

Jean, who had been watching along with the others during the entire conversation, felt the familiar tingle of somebody in the area using telepathy. She smirked, wondering how this... girl... was going to react when she found out she couldn't get into Ranma's mind.

Nabiki invoked her gifts, which she had practiced using extensively the previous night - much to the embarrassment of her new house mates. Her confident smirk turned into an annoyed frown as she felt her mind slip around Ranma's, picking up none of the thoughts she had expected to here. Re-establishing the links she had made the previous night with the rest of the Brotherhood, she tried again, using the added power of their minds along with hers. Again, her mind just slipped around his.

Pietro grunted. "Dammit, Nabs, stop doing that without asking!"

Freddy, Todd, and Lance nodded in silent agreement, rubbing their heads. While the latter had easily seen the advantage in allowing the girl to establish a network between them, she had a tendency to open it without asking first. Not that it hurt, really, but it was a bit jarring to suddenly have your mind opened and connected to several other people.

Ranma felt a similar tingle and smirked arrogantly. "I see..." he said, crossing his arms and staring back at her, "So that's what ya can do."

Her own smirk widening, Jean spoke up. "You can't break into Ranma's mind, Nabiki," she taunted, "He's immune to such intrusions."

Releasing the links, Nabiki frowned. "Figures," she muttered, "I finally find a way to get all your dirty little secrets out of you, and you prove to be immune." she pouted. "That's not fair." turning around, she returned to her own teammates.

Scott frowned. So this girl, who apparently knew Ranma, was a telepath who had joined the Brotherhood of all people. And she seemed to fit right in.

Nabiki smirked, not turning around. "I'm not just a telepath, handsome," she said over her shoulder, "I have other... talents as well." she added a suggestive sway to her hips as she walked.

Scott gulped at the sight. Evan and Kurt had similar reactions.

Scowling at the girl, Jean reprimanded "It's highly impolite to violate the personal privacy of someone's mind without asking, you know."

Nabiki burst out laughing, placing a hand against Lance's shoulder to keep herself from falling over. "Personal... privacy?" she managed to wheeze out in-between laughs.

Ranma rolled his eyes. "That girl ain't got no concept of personal privacy, Red," he told her. "Might wanna start guardin' yer thoughts from now on, guys, unless ya enjoy bein' blackmailed."

Faking a hurt look on her face, Nabiki replied, "Ranma-kun..." she mock-whined, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, "You'd accuse me of such a thing?"

"Yes." he deadpanned.

Nabiki pouted. "Your no fun anymore." she complained, "Last time I saw you, that look and that tone would have made you cave."

Shooting her one last smirk, Ranma turned and walked away, the rest of his teammates following him after giving the girl one last look as well.

"So I take it you like, know that girl, Ranma?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah," he replied, "Nabiki Tendo, she's... someone I knew before I came here." He had been about to say 'my fiancée's sister', but for some reason he didn't want to reveal the extent of his past girl troubles. "She's a greedy, manipulative girl, who'll do anythin' to make money," he added, "without care ta who she hurts with it. Used ta sell pictures of her sister 'n my girl form ta the school perv."

"Hmmm," Scott frowned, glancing back at the girl. He whipped his head back to his friends when she gave him a sultry look in response, a blush burning his cheeks. "Sounds like she'll fit right in with them."

Jean frowned. "I don't like her." she stated simply.

"Figures the Brotherhood would get another member," Evan added, "Toad did mention they felt outnumbered."

"Who vould have thought they had any notions of fairness?" Kurt quipped.

"Feh." Ranma said, "So they got themselves a telepath. Big deal."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Maybe not a big deal fer you, Mr. Immune, but tha rest of us have minds that can be tampered with, an Ah don't like it."

Kurt chuckled. "Mr. Immune..."

Ranma's eyes widened as he realized where this was heading. His standard reply of 'Oh, HELL NO!' was cut off, however, by the arrival of a yellow school bus. Grumbling as he wondered to himself how long it would take to get rid of THIS new attempt at a codename, Ranma stowed his bag in the underside compartment and boarded with the rest of the students.

* * *

At the same time the bus was departing from Bayville High School, a lone guard walked through a pair of iron-bar gates in a special wing of the Stokes County Maximum Security Prison. He was a handsome man, with a stern face and an athletic build covered by a standard gray-blue guard uniform. He walked with a stride that indicated familiarity with his surroundings as he approached a large round door. 

Pulling out an oddly-shaped key into an equally oddly-designed white lock and turning it, the circular door simultaneously spun counter-clockwise and separated into three segments, each moving into the wall and clearing the way.

Continuing through the newly opened portal, the guard stopped again several feet later. Before him was a laser grid, obstructing another doorway. Turning, he placed his hand on on a yellow panel on the left side of the doorway. A light ran down the length of the hand-shaped yellow panel, and seconds later a green light went on above it. The laser grid deactivated, and the guard continued through.

As he walked across the gangplank - and making a point not to look down the several hundred-foot drop below - the large circular structure at the end spun ninety degrees clockwise, stopping with a rectangular doorway at the end of the pathway. Without hesitation, the guard continued through, stopping once again before a panel on the opposite wall.

Removing his hat and revealing his short-cropped blond hair, the guard leaned forward, opening his eyes fully as he placed the right ocular organ in front of a red circle the size of his pupil in the center of the panel. A beam of harmless red light emitted from the sensor and scanned his retinas. Seconds later the word 'MATCH' flashed in green letters before his eye, and he pulled away.

Putting his cap on as the room spun ninety degrees counter-clockwise, depositing the guard in yet another room. The cold gray metal the room consisted of cast a serious tone on the circular room, in the center of which was a large cylindrical column. Approaching a keypad in front of the strange object, the guard pressed two buttons in succession and the column of metal began moving upwards, the hiss of motors and servos the only sound in the room.

The guard's stoic expression finally changed for the first time since his journey began, forming a small smirk as he observed the figure being raised before him. It was a very large man, seemingly made out of muscle, with very short brown hair and rust-brown armour. He was suspended in the center of the thick glass cage filled with a green liquid the colour of pea soup. His arms and legs were shackled with thick cuffs and chains at the wrists and ankles. He seemed completely unaware of everything around him.

Upon pressing a third button, the green liquid began to slowly drain. Hands on his hips, a ripple passed over the guard as his form shifted into a familiar statuesque blue-skinned redhead.

"Wake up, Cain," Mystique said in a pleasant tone as she approached the glass case, placing a hand against it as the massive man slowly awakened. "You have a family reunion to attend. How long has it been since you last saw your brother, Charles Xavier?"

The man's eyes widened then narrowed in anger almost immediately at the mention of the name.

"Cellular paralysis biofluid," Mystique continued, pressing another button, lowering the glass cage. "An amazing creation...it actually managed to stop the unstoppable. You won't be able to move for several moments," she continued, pressing a final button. The cuffs around the man's wrists and ankles snapped off, falling to the floor with a loud clang.

"But when you can, I will help you escape this horrible prison you have been so unfairly kept in for all these years." She approached the man, "Who would do such a thing to you?" she asked rhetorically, raising a finger to her chin. Snapping her fingers as a look of feigned realization came across her face, she answered her own question. "Oh, that's right. Your dear half-brother, Charles Xavier." She turned away, smiling to herself as the man growled again at the mention of the name, his fists and jaw clenching in barely controlled rage. "I'm sorry, I can see that man is still a sore subject for you..."

The man, spoke for the first time, his voice deep and weak as he woke up from the paralysis. "Who... are you?"

Flashing him a grin over her shoulder as she approached a panel on the wall. "A friend of the family who merely wishes to see such loving brother's reunited," she replied, adding softly, "I understand how important family is." Pressing a button on the panel, it slowly opened, revealing a large round metal object the same colour as the man's armour. "In exchange for this act of kindness on my part, I ask only that you deliver me something in your brother's possession." she said, lifting the large object into her arms and carrying it over to the man.

"And what would that be?" Cain asked as Mystique approached him.

"His mutant detection system, Cerebro," she answered, placing the object over the man's head, revealing it to be a helmet, angular holes cut into the eyes and mouth.

"And...my brother?"

Mystique's voice had a tone of mirth to it as she answered, snapping the latches on helmet to secure it to his armour. "Why, you may do whatever you like. It is your family reunion, after all." she turned away, walking towards the exit, "Now, I have a plane standing by. It will take you-OOMPH!"

Cain shoved her roughly to the side and out of his way as he walked forward, knocking he into an indent in the floor. "No one," Cain spoke in an even tone, "NO ONE, takes Juggernaut anywhere," Not even stopping as he smashed easily through the metal door, he added, "And NOTHING gets in my way."

Leaning her head against her hand, Mystique frowned. "Charming," she commented. Pulling herself up, she followed after him, shifting back into the guard identity he had stolen to get in.

She was a little apprehensive about using someone's family against them, what with the recent reunion with her son and her anger at Charles for suggesting she would do the same thing, but this opportunity was far too good to pass up. The X-Men - and therefore, Ranma - were away from the Institute attending Ironback Survival Camp, leaving the mansion defended only by Wolverine and Storm. And neither of them were capable of stopping the brute she had just unleashed.

He would easily tear his way through the defenses of the Institute in his mindless quest for revenge. And in the commotion of trying to stop him, she would be able to slip in undetected and acquire Cerebro for herself. The files of every currently known mutant in the entire world would be at her fingertips.

The possibility was too great to resist. For Cerebro, she would resort to even this appalling method.

* * *

The sun had just risen over a peaceful valley. Birds were chirping and singing happily in the vibrant green trees that made up a forest surrounding a small clearing. In the background was a tall, majestic mountain reaching into the morning sky. It's beauty was breathtaking; the picture of tranquility. 

A tranquility which was soon broken by a very loud, very stern voice.

"You will not be making wallets, necktie racks or paperweights!" A large man with an obvious no-nonsense tone in his voice declared as he paced in front of the students, who were all standing at attention. "You will not be engaging in potato-sack races, water-balloon tosses or pony rides! You WILL be taking twenty-mile hikes, rappelling two-hundred-foot cliffs and crossing treacherous waters with no more than a rope and all the courage you can muster! DO YOU READ ME?!"

"Yes Sergeant Hawke, Sir!" The students answered in unison.

Ranma rolled his eyes and snorted.

"I SAID DO YOU READ ME?!" Hawke yelled louder.

"YES SERGEANT HAWKE, SIR!" The students answered even louder.

Ranma snorted even louder.

Hawke crossed his arms over his bulging chest. "Welcome to Ironback Survival Camp," he said, "A name you won't soon forget."

Ranma snorted a third time. "Yeah, I'm sure," He whispered to Rogue out of the corner of his mouth. He held in a grunt as she discretely elbowed him in the gut while unsuccessfully trying to stifle a giggle.

Hawke appeared inches away from Ranma's face, "What was that cadet?!" he demanded, a small amount of spittle landing in Ranma's face.

"Sir, I snorted derisively said 'yeah, I'm sure', sir!" Ranma answered, each 'sir' spoken with a mocking tone. Wiping the spit of his face, Ranma added, "Sir, may I also request you do not give me a weather report, sir!"

Hawke's glare was hidden behind his sunglasses. "I don't like your attitude cadet!" He declared, "Drop and give me twenty!"

"Sir, I am afraid I don't have any cash on me." Ranma replied, having far too much fun baiting the man. "Would you be willing to accept an I.O.U, sir?"

Several of the students were struggling not to laugh. Rogue, unfortunately, failed.

"Make that fifty!" Hawke ordered. "And your little girlfriend here can count for you before she does hers!"

Rogue blushed and shot Ranma a glare.

Flashing her a grin, Ranma dropped to the ground and started doing the required push-ups easily.

"Moving on," Hawke continued, turning away from Ranma and approaching Scott, "here we have a young Mr. Scott Sumner-"

"Summers," Scott quickly corrected.

"-who's academic performance at Bayville High has garnered him the rank of group leader. You WILL be following his lead. You have ten minutes to store your gear and report to the training field. DISMISSED!" With that he walked off, not even bothering to watch Ranma as he switched one-handed push-ups.

Kitty sat down on her beg, "Oh god, I'm going to be dead in like, two days..." she moaned pitifully.

"What about me?" Evan asked in a panicked voice, his eyes darting around. He just knew there were bears around here, waiting to strike. "I'm a city kid! The closest I've even been to nature is Central Park!"

"Vhy is the Professor making us do this again?" Kurt asked in a pitiful voice.

"Would you rather go with the other option he offered, and have Wolverine handle our survival training?" Jean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Aw, c'mon guys," Ranma said as he finished off his push-ups, "This'll be fun! I ain't been out in the wilderness in too long." He hopped back to his feet and drew in a deep breath. "Ahhhh... taste that air? That's good air." Turning to Rogue, he asked, "Don't ya have some push-ups to be doin'?"

Rogue glared at him again, "Hawke ain't here, Ah ain't doin' 'em."

Off to the side, the Brotherhood watched as their foes walked off to do as the Sergeant instructed.

"Group leader, feh." Freddy said. "I ain't listenin' to that loser."

"And to think, had I been here earlier, that job would have gone to me," Nabiki said, "No way that cutie is smarter than me."

"He said 'academic performance,'" Pietro said, smirking, "Not intelligence. That basically means Sumner there gets good grades and participates in extra-curiculars." he snorted, "A model student."

"Yeah, and based on what we know about you so far, sweetums, you ain't exactly it," Todd teased.

"Yeah, well, just remember the whole reason we decided to do this in the first place," Pietro reminded.

"Feh," Freddy grunted, "I still say we should just get 'em alone in the woods." He ground his massive fist against his palm for emphasis.

"No, Blob," Lance agreed, "Pietro's right. We need to beat them where it hurts most. In public, in front of everyone. Imagine the humiliation." he grinned. "Let's go."

Nabiki smirked as they started walking, "Ranma could stand to be knocked down several pegs." she frowned, "Still I don't like this place. It feels weird being so far from any kind of network connection." She may not have had her powers for very long, but already she had a certain fondness for network technology. "Maximoff, let me borrow your cell for a second."

"No go, Nabs," Pietro responded, holding it up. "Network doesn't extend this far; no signals out here."

"Crap."

* * *

Sounds of grunting and groaning could be heard as the teenagers pulled themselves up the ropes. It was a relatively simply obstacle course, starting with a rope climb, followed by riding down a zip line and claiming one of the few rafts to cross a river to the finish line. 

Freddy looked his rope up and down in dismay. Sighing, he spit in his hands to aid in his grip and grabbed on, pulling himself up... and then landing on the ground as his rope snapped in half from the strain of his massive bulk, almost bringing the entire apparatus down with him.

"Feh," He grumbled, "I ain't built for this stuff."

Scott and Lance shot each other glares as they fought to be the first ones to the top, grunting from the exertion. Reaching it at the same time, Scott managed a slight lead as he took hold of the handles on the zip line, Lance only seconds behind him as they raced. Letting go, they landed at the same time, racing towards the pair of rafts tied to the shore.

Lance smirked as he untied his raft, looking up at Scott. "You swim?" he asked.

"Yeah..." Scott answered as he worked at the knot.

Lance grinned, holding up his one arm. "Too bad," he said, releasing a seismic tremor that knocked Scott into the water. Grinning, Lance climbed into his raft and pushed it into the river.

On the shore Evan growled, extending multiple bone-spikes from his forearm. "That cheating punk..." he muttered as he pulled his arm back, ready to shoot them off at the boy. His wrist was intercepted by Jean.

"Hey, we agreed not to use any powers out here, remember?" She said, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him. "You know, using only our wits, man against nature."

"That guy needs his boat popped!" Evan declared angrily.

"Well, Scott's cool," Jean said, "He'll handle it like a group leader should."

A flash of red concussive energy blasted Lance's raft, knocking the boy into the water.

"Or maybe not," Jean sighed.

Back in the water, Scott pulled himself up into his raft and began paddling his way to the other side. On the shore, his friends cheered while Hawke kept his eye on the stopwatch.

Making it to shore, Scott ran towards the finish line... only to find it already broken, Ranma leaning up against one of the poles.

"Ranma?" Scott asked, "How..."

"I climbed up tha rope, went down tha zip line, then hopped across the stones in the river while you were blasting Lance's raft," Ranma explained with a grin, then adding. "Makin' sure ta keep my focus so I didn't turn inta a girl along tha way." It was the craziest thing, water still changed him, but he had yet to have any accidents in that regard. He thought he could count the number of times he'd been splashed in the last two weeks on only one hand.

"Saotome!" Hawke bellowed with a blow of his whistle, "You are disqualified! The rules were to use the rafts to get across the river! Sumner is the winner!"

"Summers," Scott muttered.

"I didn't need no raft," Ranma replied, making his way across the river via the rocks once more to prove his point. "I found my own way across."

Freddy and the rest of the brotherhood approached their rivals. "Hey, Scott should have lost and you know it." he grunted angrily.

"Yeah," Pietro agreed, "Just because he slipped and fell into the bath, the guy went nuts!"

"Slipped?" Kurt questioned, "More like Avalanched!"

"You can't be accusing Lance of not playing fair," Nabiki threw in calmly, "I mean, we all saw cutie there use his little eye beams, but I don't recall seeing any seismic activity."

"That's because you can't see seismic activity with the naked eye," Jean countered, shooting the other telepath a glare.

"He stole that first place ribbon!" Todd interjected.

"Um, hey?" Ranma said, waving his arm in the air, "You're forgetting about the guy who actually won."

He was ignored as the two groups began yelling at each other all at once about who was the rightful winner. Ranma turned to Rogue, the only one who hadn't joined in the shouting. "I won, didn't I? I mean, I went across tha finish line first, right? That means I win."

"Sure yah did hun," Rogue said with a smirk, "Then went an' got yerself disqualified."

"Feh," Ranma muttered. "Don't need no stupid raft. They're just mad they didn't think of it first."

From a distance, Hawke watched, frowning as the two groups argued. He snarled slightly and blew heavily on his whistle. "All of you, form a line, drop and give me sixty!"

* * *

"...and I will not have you fighting against each other when you are supposed to be working together!" Hawke declared as he paced up and down the line of teenagers as they did the ordered exercise, counting together with each push-up. When they reached sixty, he stopped. "On your feet." he ordered. "Here at Ironback we have ways of weeding the tough guys from the loudmouths," he glared at Ranma with the last word, who simply grinned and waved back, "We fight it out in the wilderness, against the wilderness!" 

He leaned in, glaring at Scott and Lance, "You grunts want to prove how tough you are, fine! First team to snatch a flag I planted on Mount Humiliation," he turned and pointed towards the large mountain in the background, "and brings it back to me wins!"

Pietro smirked. "Cakewalk," he declared, "Our team can take a nap, I'll get it myself." Super-speed up a mountain? Hardly a challenge.

"Not if I get there first," Kurt countered with a grin. Super-speed was fast, but it was ntohing compared to the near-instantaneous method of teleportation.

"The whole team or no one!" Hawke declared, "As proof, I want a snapshot of every team member at the summit. ARE WE CLEAR?!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"You leave in five from opposite trails. Be ready." he said, walking away, "Saotome, you and your little girlfriend come with me."

Glancing at each other, Ranma and Rogue followed behind the Sergeant. "Why does he keep callin' ya my girlfriend?" he asked. "All ya did was laugh at somethin' I said."

"Apparently, that's enough," Rogue smirked. "Why, do yah object?"

Ranma sputtered, then collected himself. "I refuse ta answer that on tha grounds that it might indicate me formin' a commitment."

She elbowed him in the stomach, "Oh, you be quiet."

Growling, Hawke spun around and glared at them. "If you two can stop whispering sweet nothings for a moment, I will explain the task YOU TWO will have to accomplish!"

"Why can't we just go with tha others?" Ranma asked, belatedly adding, "Sir."

"Because your attitude has gotten you on my bad side, Saotome!" He bellowed, "You think your too good for this place, prove it! The two of you will take a flag I give you and bring it to the top of the mountain! The flag will remain COMPLETELY undamaged by the time you reach the summit, which you are required to reach BEFORE the other two teams! Do you understand!"

"Umm...why do Ah have to go with him, sir?" Rogue questioned.

"Taking you out of one of the teams makes them even, with five in each!" Hawke answered, "And you failed to do the push-ups I assigned earlier!" seeing Rogue wince, he added, "Yes, I was paying attention cadet!"

Ranma smirked and gave a sloppy. "No prob, Sargie,"

Hawke narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses. "You leave in ten from any trail you choose that is not being used by the other two teams! Wait with the others while I get your flag." He turned around without another word and walked off.

Rogue shot Ranma a glare as they returned to the groups in time to see a heated argument between Lance and Scott. "This is all yer fault, y'know that right?"

"Yep."

"We don't need our powers to beat you losers!" Lance declared as they came close enough to hear the argument.

"Oh, fine then," Scott replied, "We'll all play it straight. An y'know what? We'll wave to you from the top!"

"Good!" Jean exclaimed excitedly as the boys shot each other a final glare and turned in opposite directions. "We're all competing fairly, no powers, and I for one am proud-UGH" Scott grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away.

* * *

Ryouga looked up, his eyes narrowing. He could sense the jerk, and he was close. "Ranma..." he growled. 

His aura flaring brightly for a brief moment, Ryouga continued hunting his rival, following his ki signature to make sure he didn't lose him.

* * *

"Is Cerebro locating new mutant sigs?" Logan asked as he approached the Professor. 

"No, just our students," Xavier replied. He was sitting at the mutant detection system and wearing the helmet interface. "Up at Ironback. They've been a little active."

Logan grunted. "Did ya tell 'em not to use their powers?"

"No," Xavier answered, smiling, "I was hoping they'd make that decision themselves."

Both men looked back at the screen as an alert appeared on it, punctuated by a faint alarm. "Well," Xavier said, "It appears as if there is a new mutant in the area after all..."

"DISCOVERY: MUTANT SIGNATURE," a soft electronic female voice declared, as an image of a Japanese boy in traveling clothes appeared on the screen. "IDENTITY CONFIRMED, AND MATCHED TO ARCHIVE FILE."

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Whoever this is, apparently they have been detected by Cerebro once before..."

"NAME: RYOUGA HIBIKI. RESIDENCE: EARTH. LOCATION: IRONBACK SURVIVAL CAMP."

Logan raised an eyebrow and repeated. "'Residence: Earth?'" he asked. "Can't it get more specific?"

"Not with this Hibiki boy," Xavier answered, recognizing the name. "I remember him now. He has no set residence, apparently preferring the life of a wanderer. His body is capable of safely handling more than ten times the bio-energy of a normal man of his physical conditioning."

"So he's some kind of super ki-user?"

"Precisely." Xavier replied. "Prepare the Blackbird, we-"

The alarm sounded again, cutting Xavier off. "My another one..."

"DISCOVERY: ENHANCED MUTANT SIGNATURE. IDENTITY: CONFIRMED, AND MATCHED TO ARCHIVE FILE." Xavier's eyes widened as the image began to form on the screen. "NAME: CAIN MARKO. RESIDENCE: STOKES COUNTY MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON. CURRENT LOCATION: IN TRANSIT, UPSTATE NEW YORK."

Xavier gasped, "No..."

"Cain Marko..." Logan repeated, not recognizing the name, "Whos-"

"My half-brother," Xavier interrupted, "It's impossible, but...somehow, he's escaped!"

"And what's an 'enhanced mutant signature?"

Xavier removed the helmet and set it on the console. "He possessed an X-gene at birth, but it was dormant most of his life," he answered, his voice filled with worry, "So he awakened it with mysticism..."

"Huh," Logan grunted, "What kinda powers does he have?"

"He's become a Juggernaut," the professor answered, "Invulnerable. Unstoppable."

Logan frowned. This sounded bad. "Well...better forget about the Hibiki kid for a while..."

* * *

"So..." Rogue said, looking at the two trails they had to choose from, "Which one do we take?" 

"Feh," Ranma said, looking straight up the mountain. "Don't need no stupid trail. Easiest way between any two points is a straight line." he grinned, pointing to the top of the mountain that loomed before them.

"Are yah crazy?" Rogue asked, a look of disbelief on her face, "We can't go straight on up tha side of a mountain!"

Ranma flashed her a grin, "Sure we can," he said, scooping her up into his arms. She eeped and clung tightly to him as he leaped into the air, landing on the top of a nearby tree and bouncing again off it, landing on an outcropping of rock on the side of the mountain. "See? You jus' take care of that stupid flag," he said arrogantly, "I'll get us up the stupid mountain. More fun this way anyway."

"If we survive this," Rogue managed to squeak out, her eyes shut tightly, "Ah'm gonna kill ya."

* * *

Toad, similar to Ranma at the moment, used his powerful leg muscles to propel himself easily from one rock outcropping to another, easily making his way up the side of the mountain. Looking down at his teammates, he huffed. "Pfft. What's takin' you all so long?" he asked, taking another giant leap. 

Several yards below him, Freddy was literally climbing up the side of the mountain, using his monstrous strength to create his own hand and footholds. Attached to him were three ropes, from which Lance, Pietro and Nabiki were almost casually being pulled up the mountain.

"Man, if he slips and falls, we are dead!" Pietro whispered.

"Fastest way to the top is a straight line, Pietro," Lance replied, "We are winning this race!"

"Besides," Nabiki added, her voice eerily calm, "This gives us a chance to get to know each other better. For example, did you boys know my second biggest fear in life is being crushed to death by a falling fat man?"

Pietro blinked, glancing over at her, "What's the first biggest?" He asked, preferring not to know why she had ever worried about such a thing before this incident.

"Going bankrupt." She replied, shivering at the mere thought.

* * *

Scott ran as fast as he could along the trail, determined to beat the Brotherhood more than anything. Stopping for a moment, he called back to the others, "Get a move on, we're almost at the base!" Not waiting for a response, he turned and continued running. 

Far behind him, the rest of the team was struggling to catch up. "What's with him?" Kitty asked breathlessly as she ran, "All he cares about is winning! Kurt, make yourself useful and like, just teleport us to the top?"

"This trip is off the power-free variety I'm told," Kurt answered, breathing heavily.

Jean came up from behind the pair and grabbed them by the arms, pullingthem along faster. "Just follow Scott," she said, "We'll win this thing, don't worry!"

Lagging behind the rest, Evan stopped to swat at numerous large mosquitoes that had begun to congregate around him. "Man, the mosquitoes here are huge!" He declared, "No bugs like this in the 'burg!" Setting off into a run again, he asked, "Why are we doing this again?"

* * *

Engaging the Blackbird on autopilot, Storm stepped onto the platform, strapping herself in as it rose through the hatch in the roof of the jet. 

Holding out her hands, they began to glow a hazy white as she filled the countryside with dense fog.

* * *

Seeing the report on the news of the search being hampered by the sudden appearance of dense inland fog, Xavier sent a telepathic message to Storm thanking her. Turning around as Logan. "If no one will be able to see Cain," he explained, "then no one will be foolish enough to try and capture him. He is far too powerful for even the army to face." 

"I've got the Danger Room ready, Charles," Logan said, "If I can't stop him, yer best bet for protection will be in there."

"Yes, I agree," Xavier said, directing his chair to the elevator, "It may slow him down, but it will not stop him."

"So is there anything that can take him down?"

"Cain's only weakness is his mind," Xavier said, entering the elevator. "with enough psychic blasts, I can bring him down... unless he's wearing his helmet..."

* * *

Juggernaut stepped walked through the fog, casually brushing aside a train that happened to get in his way. Ignoring the massive freight car pile-up that resulted behind him, he continued to trudge forward.

* * *

Ryouga pulled himself up the side of the mountain, augmenting his already massive strength with his ki to dig his fingers into the solid rock. He didn't know why Ranma was up here, and he didn't care.

* * *

"See?" Ranma said, "What'd I tell ya? We're practically there already!" 

Rogue had finally opened her eyes, although she still wasn't completely confident they weren't going to fall to their deaths. Making the best of a horrifying situation, she focused on the fact that she was in Ranma's arms and how good it felt.

Taking another leap and landing on another outcropping, Ranma grinned. He could already see the other flag at the summit, and there was no one there. He'd show that stupid army guy.

Propelling himself upward with several more leaps, Ranma flashed Rogue a grin. "Here we are," he said, "Toldja I'd get us up here. Still gonna kill me?"

"Nah, Ah guess not," Rogue replied, smiling back. "So, how are we s'posed ta prove we got here first?"

Ranma blinked. "I have no idea... guess we jus' wait for tha others so they can take tha picture?"

Rogue shrugged as much as she could, ""Ahright, then get us over to tha flag."

"Y'knowl, ya can walk now," Ranma said, carrying her over as told.

"Yer point bein'?"

Ranma stuck his tongue out at her and set her down on the ground, next to the white flag. Taking the blue one they had been given, they planted it into a small crevice in the rock, posing triumphantly.

"Well..." Ranma said after a few minutes. "I'm bored."

"Yeah," Rogue agreed, then grinned slyly at him, "Wanna make out?"

Ranma's eyes widened slightly and he backed away a few steps, chuckling nervously. "I thought we agreed ta y'know, take it slow 'n stuff?"

She huffed. "Oh, fine." she said, leaning against the side of a large rock. Seconds later she felt herself snatched away just as the rock exploded into millions of tiny shards. Shaking her head free of the disorientation, she looked back at where she had been standing. As the dust cleared, she caught site of a figure stepping forward with a slow, purposeful stride. It was a boy about Ranma's height, with short black hair held in place by a tiger striped bandanna. His yellow and black clothes looked torn and well-traveled. He carried a large pack on his back, and resting against his shoulder was a big red umbrella.

Ranma frowned, pushing Rogue back slightly. "Ryouga." he greeted neutrally.

He dropped the umbrella to his feet, where it created a small indentation in the ground. Tossing off his pack as well, the boy got into a ready stance. "Ranma," he said calmly, "Prepare to die."

Rogue's eyes widened as Ranma slipped into a ready stance of his own. "Ryouga," he said, "This is the top of a mountain, if ya ain't noticed. It's not the safest place ta fight." glancing at Rogue out of the corner of his eye, he told her in a voice that brokered no argument, "Stay back. As far back as you can. Hell, climb down tha mountain if ya can, jus' ta be safe."

"I've finally found you, Ranma," Ryouga replied, his voice even and calm as Rogue followed Ranma's instruction and backed away to the edge of the summit, "And surprise surprise, in the presence of yet another woman. Is this the girl you left Akane for, running away in the night like the coward you are?"

"I left for my own reasons, Ryouga," Ranma replied. Reaching out with his senses, he almost fell over in shock. How had he not felt this earlier? Ryouga's ki was massive, more than ten times what the Lost Boy should be capable of safely controlling. _'So he's got a new trick,' _Ranma thought to himself, narrowing his eyes slightly. "And those reasons are my business, and mine alone."

No more words were spoken as Ryouga charged, his fist extended, Ranma ducked under it, shocked at Ryouga's speed. The Lost Boy had never been this fast before! Grabbing him by the upper arm, he threw Ryouga in the direction of a large rock, which shattered as the other boy flipped himself around, landing feet first against it and propelling himself back towards the pigtailed teen.

Falling onto his back and rolling, Ranma kicked upwards, hitting Ryouga in the stomach. Wincing in pain as his foot connected, Ranma determined that the pig boy had become tougher as well as faster. Jumping back to his feet as his opponent landed on the ground, Ranma rushed in, delivering an Amaguriken to Ryouga's midsection, hitting him over three-hundred times in the same spot. As suspected, this did little to slow him down as he lashed out with a punch to Ranma's head.

Dodging to the side, and then back to avoid the next blow, Ranma found himself on the defensive, dodging strike after strike. Ryouga began to glow a soft white and the speed of his attacks increased. Leaping back to gain some breathing room, Ranma prepared a Moko Takabisha in mid-air, firing it off the second his feet hit the ground. His eyes widened a fraction, then narrowed as Ryouga's aura expanded, dissipating the ball of confidence-fueled ki before it even came into contact with the Lost Boy.

Pulling his hands back, Ryouga returned the attack with his own, a ball of white ki launching forwards. Leaping over it, Ranma weaved in mid-air as he suddenly found another one coming his way, followed by another and another.

Landing on his feet a fair distance away, Ranma made a quick sweep with his senses. The Lost Boy wasn't radiating depression like he usually was! He wasn't angry either! In fact, from what Ranma could tell, the other boy was feeling nothing at all. WHich meant his ki blasts could only be one thing.

Pure ki. Unfiltered through any emotion. How the hell was the pig doing it?

Ranma grit his teeth and ignited his own aura, channeling it into his speed as he leapt forward, unleashing a flurry of blows to Ryouga's face, the lost boy bringing his arms up to block after the first few hit.

Ryouga growled. Those had hurt! How the hell was Ranma hitting hard enough to hurt him, especially with his toughness being augmented to superhuman levels by his ki? Ignoring the thought as he dropped the block, Ryouga leaped back, charging up a ball of ki and firing it at his opponent. As soon as it left his hands, he pulled off and spun dozens of bandannas at the boy, infusing them with life energy to make the razor sharp.

Dodging each of the projectiles as they cut through the rock of the mountain without losing any of their momentum, Ranma closed in on his foe, striking again against his now-unprotected head, followed by a snap-kick to the jaw, sending Ryouga skyward. As the bandanna-clad boy flew upwards, Ranma powered up a blast of his and fired it at him as he made his descent.

At the sidelines, Rogue watched the fight with the fascination one would normally reserve for a train wreck. She'd known Ranma was good, but he was moving faster than she could see, and from that last punch, hard enough to crack stone.

And his opponent seemed just as good.

Hearing voices below, her eyes widened as she saw the rest of the team standing there, staring up at the summit. They didn't seem to know there was a fight going on up here.

Almost jumping as Kurt suddenly bamfed in, she grabbed him by the arm. "Rogue?" he said, glancing between her and the fight, "Vhat is going on here?"

"This guy showed up and started fightin' Ranma!" Rogue exclaimed, slightly panicked, "Said he was gonna kill him! They're movin' to fast fer me to get in and drain tha other guy, too!"

"I'm guessing they not friends, then," Kurt replied, "I'll get the others."

The boy Ranma was fighting - Ryouga or something, Rogue dimly recalled- struck his fist hard against the ground and yelled something in Japanese, causing the whole mountain to rumble and a large area around him to explode into thousands of chunks of rock. Startled, both teenagers lifted their arms to block the shards of rokc that flew their way, grunting in pain as some of them dug into their skin. Hearing a cry, they looked down in fright to see Evan flying off the side of the cliff, jarred from his feet from the shaking.

Not hesitating, Kurt teleported to catch him in mid-air, then teleported again to bring him back tot he group below. She saw him yelling something and pointing up in her direction. Good, they knew. She turned her eyes back to the fight.

Ranma was breathing heavily. He could feel his muscles burning. No way in hell Ryouga could have gotten this strong, this fast, and this much tougher in the two weeks since he'd been gone! He was barely able to keep up, and his attacks seemed to be doing nothing to faze the Lost Boy.

Ryouga grinned. He had Ranma on the ropes now, he could sense it. His new power was too much for the pigtailed jerk to handle. Rushing forward, arm pulled back, Ryouga pressed the attack.

* * *

"Ranma's fighting who?" Kitty exclaimed, looking up towards the summit with a worred gaze. 

"I don't know," Kurt answered, "But he seems to be very powerful."

"We'll let's get up there!" Scott said, lifting a hand to his shades.

"Wait!" Jean exclaimed, crouched over a large opening in the rock. "The Brotherhood! They're trapped in this mineshaft! That tremor caused a cave-in!"

"I didn't even do it!" Lance called up, "I mean, I was about to, but a real one happened before I could!"

Scott glanced between the shaft and the summit. He didn't care in the least about the flag now, not at a time like this. Deciding Ranma could take care of himself for a little while longer, he called back down to the trapped teens. "Stay right there!" he called down, "We're coming!"

"Stay right here, he says," The heard Nabiki quip, "I was gonna go for a stroll, but your plan sounds better, cutie!"

Scott looked up at the others. "Okay, lets get them out of there!"

* * *

Cain Marko tore through the gates to the Xavier Institute, grinning maliciously. 

"Lay out the welcome mat, brother," he rumbled, "I'm coming home."

Mystique followed behind the muscle-bound man as he stomped his way up the steps to the mansion, swatting Wolverine to the side as he lunged in the attack with his claws extended, growling in savage fury.

"You can't stop the Juggernaut!" Cain declared, sneering at the smaller man as he smacked him away.

"Forgive me for trying, bub!" Logan replied, lunging into the attack again.

Mystique continued to watch with bemusement as the smaller mutant attempted to slash at the monster before him with his adamantium claws, only to be sent through the front doors of the mansion by one swing one the brute's fist. Almost casually she followed him inside as he tore what remained of the doorway to shreds of wood and shard of glass.

"Hmph," Mystique commented, "I expected better resistance..."

Wolverine charged again, and was sent flying again through several walls, the Juggernaut plowing through them after him as if they were made of wet paper, Mystique following behind at a leisurely pace. Stopping as her foot caught on something, she looked down and her eyes widened in anger.

"NO!" she cried out shock as she picked up the mental interface for Cerebro, "THAT MUSCLEHEAD!" He'd plowed right through it! The mutant detection system was no nothing more than so much metal and crushed circuitry beneath her feet. "All of this for nothing!" she growled, throwing the useless helmet to the floor.

Back in the increasingly one-sided fight, Logan was being thrown through the floor, barely able to roll out of the way as the Juggernaut came crashed down after him. Backing against the door to the Danger Room, he braced himself as Cain charged.

The thick steel door bent around the unstoppable pseudo-mutant's charge, knockog Wolverine limply to the floor. Pushing the remaining metal aside, he stared into the room to see the object of his mindless hatred sitting in his wheelchair against the far wall.

"You lumbering imbecile!" Mystique ranted as she entered behind him. "What did you do, sit on Cerebro!" she asked angrily, moving to stand before the behemoth. "You smashed it to pieces! What happened to our deal?"

Cain growled, striking the blue-skinned woman with a casual swat that sent her flying into the room, landing in front of Charles. "I don't make deals," he declared.

Xavier looked down at the woman in front of him, then up at his half-brother with a look of fear.

Cain smiled cruelly at his brother. "Charles," he said in a mock-pleasant tone, "Aren't you going to welcome me home?"

* * *

Ranma grit his teeth in pain as he mis-dodged another bandanna, the spinning razor blade of cloth nicking his upper arm. Ignoring the pain, he dodged around the next two, leaped high into the air to dodge the next wave, and delivered a hard kick into the back of Ryouga's neck, followed by a second between the shoulder blades. Landing on his feet, he dodged a vicious punch, grabbing his foe by the upper arm and flipping him over, slamming him hard into the ground. Leaping back to catch his breath, Ranma waited for Ryouga to get back up. 

His muscles were on fire, struggling to withstand the strain he was forced to put on them. His breathing was ragged and his vision was beginning to blur. What the hell had Ryouga done to get this powerful in so short a time? His mind raced through scores of attacks and strategies, trying to find a way to put the pig down for the count. Gritting his teeth in determination, he surged forward with speed he didn't know he had.

Striking out with a multitude of punches almost savage in their intensity, he forced Ryouga to the defensive, not giving the Lost Boy a chance to retaliate from the flurry of kick and punches he sent his way.

Growling, Ryouga struggled to keep his calm. His reserves were still half-full. More than enough to take down his rival. Charging up a bigger blast than any before it, Ryouga fired off a stream of ki the width of a Buick, howling in fury. The blast flickered from white to red as he struggled to hold back his anger and remain in control.

Ranma was unprepared for the blast, dodging just barely but catching his arm on the edge of the beam. Grabbing it, he could feel his skin literally cooking from the heat. Falling to his knees, his breathing ragged, Ranma forced his eyes into focus. He would not lose this fight! He could not lose this fight! He was Ranma Saotome, dammit! HE DID NOT LOSE!

Forcing himself to his feet, Ranma slowed his breathing down to calm himself, His burnt flesh was already healing slowly, but he put the shock at the rate of regeneration to the back of his mind for now. Forcing a third wind, he waited for the blast to die down before leaping in close to the Lost Boy, attacking him with a savage intensity. His ki was almost completely diminished, yet he struck out with Chestnut-fist speed, hitting Ryouga at every open point he could find with every ounce of his strength he could muster.

Ryouga dodged every strike he could, soaking up the damage from those he couldn't. His battle aura burned with intensity, expanding outwards in a radius that almost encompassed the summit.

Gritting his teeth, Ranma ignored the heat of the aura ad he pressed the attack. Striking out with a dozen lightning-fast kicks to his opponents side, he followed it up with a palm strike to the sternum. His muscles were burning, his blood boiling, his head swimming. His vision began to blur, yet still he pressed on harder and harder, not allowing his opponent even the chance to retaliate.

Ryouga lost control. His rage howled as it was set free, furious at Ranma's refusal to fall. He'd hit him hard enough to down opponents twice the boy's size and still he kept going! Growling in fury, his aura turned a deep red as his anger consumed him. Pushing more ki into his speed, Ryouga lashed out, grabbing the other boy's bare wrist in a painful hold.

Ranma forced his eyes to remain focused as the world around him turned red. He ignored the pain that was screaming in every cell of his body, begging him to stop. He would not lose, he could not lose, not even to the fight his own body was putting up against him. Then he faltered. Just barely, but enough for Ryouga to grab him by the wrist, putting a horrible pressure on the already strained limb.

_'No!'_ he cried out mentally, _'No, dammit, I CAN'T LOSE!'_

The red haze of Ryouga's aura suddenly winked away, and Ranma's eyes flared in pain as natural light suddenly hit them again for the first time in what seemed like years. Blinking away the disorientation, he saw Ryouga standing frozen, his face a mask of agony. Looking down, at his wrist, still trapped in the Lost Boy's slowly loosening grip, his head swam in a mixture of confusion and pain as he struggled to figure out what was going on.

Ryouga couldn't even scream in paind as his massive reserves of ki suddenly winked out, leaving him with barely any left. His face turned pale as he felt the pain of every blow from the fight, as well as the exhaustion, hunger, and dehydration that he had put himself through for the last three days in his relentless search. After several seconds, Ryouga managed only to ask himself what the hell had happened as he felt consciousness desert him. He fell to the ground with a meaty thud, bruises forming all over his body.

Ranma sank to his knees, his breathing ragged, barely able to support himself with one hand. He absently noticed his nose was bleeding and probably broken. He barely noticed Kurt and Pietro arrive, both grabbing hold of the somehow still standing flag. He didn't care enough to see if his was still there.

Rogue's face was a mask of worry and fear as she saw Ranma sink to the ground, bleeding from his nose and mouth. She was about to rush over to him when he foot caught on a piece of jagged rock loosened from the fight, throwing her off-balance and sending her backwards over the cliff.

Ranma heard a scream and looked up in time to see Rogue fall over the edge of the summit. Racing forward with energy he was certain he didn't have left, he leaped after her without hesitation, pulling his body in to fall faster.

Grabbing her in his arms, he twisted himself around to take the brunt of the fall, landing hard against the rock, barely managed to brace what little he could against it, crying out in agony.

Rogue herself grabbed in midair and spun around before feeling the fall stop with a hard thud. Turning over, her eyes widened in fear as she saw Ranma's body beneath hers, his face the pure definition of pain. "Ranma!" she cried out.

He forced a smile to his face, "I toldja this camp'd be fun..." he coughed out weakly.

She stared down at him eyes filled with an odd mixture of worry and awe. "Oh mah god, yer bleedin' all over!" she exclaimed, "Don't worry we'll get yah ta tha doctor, he'll fix yah up good as new, Ah promise!"

Ranma grinned weakly, "S'raight..." he mumbled out, "I've 'ad worse... I'll be fin'... saved th' girl, s'all zat matt'rs."

Rogue watched him silently, unable to find any words. Fear and worry and hope and a whole cavalcade of other emotions raged through her mind. _'Tha hell with takin' it slow!'_ she declared to herself, leaning in and kissing him deeply and with such a fervor, the last one they had shared seemed like a peck on the cheek.

Ranma didn't even have the strength to widen his eyes in surprise, and to his regret, nor did he have the strength to return the kiss.

The other's crowded around her, but she didn't notice, nor did she notice the Blackbird appear overhead, and she only dimly heard Storm's voice over the speakers telling them Professor Xavier and Mystique were in danger.

Ranma heard it though, and he weakly pulled his head away. "Mom..." he whispered fearfully, his body wracked with pain and he struggled to his feet, supported by Rogue taking his arm over her shoulder.

* * *

Juggernaut slowly stalked towards his half-brother, savouring the look of fear in his eyes. He was going to remember this day for the rest of his life. 

Wolverine struggled to stand, his healing factor working in overdrive to repair the damage. He had to get up, Charles was in danger!

"Take a break, Wolverine!"

Looking over his shoulder, he saw the assembled X-Men and Brotherhood standing together, all in costume.

"We'll take it from here," Lance said.

Mystique blinked. "Well, this is a surprise..."

Cain reached out a massive hand towards his half-brother, enjoying the sight of Charles cringing before him. He grunted in surprise when his hand stopped moving, held back by an invisible force, which also lifted him off the ground. Looking down, he saw a redheaded girl pressing her fingers against her forehead, struggling to keep him suspended in the air.

Jean whimpered as she tried to hold him in place, finally forced to give up as the strain became too much.

"Cain's helmet!" Wolverine managed to bark out weakly, "Remove it!"

The Juggernaut sneered as he reached down towards the redheaded pest, then cried out as he suddenly found himself flying through the air and into the wall.

"Unstoppable," The Blob said, "Meet the unmovable!"

Juggernaut pulled himself to his feet as Nightcrawler ported onto his back, slipping open one of the latches on the helmet. He was about to go for another one when Cain grabbed him and threw him away, then charged towards the massive boy who had body-checked him earlier. Ramming into the boy and sending him into the wall, he took an optic blast from Cyclops pushing him back slightly.

Grabbing a piece of destroyed Danger Room equipment that Charles had tried to use against him earlier - to no effect - the threw it in the direction of the blast, only to be taken from behind by a tremor under his feet from Avalanche, bringing him to his knees.

Network, who had not yet found time to assemble a costume, observed the battle with a cool gaze, directing her team through the mind-link. Seeing Cain down, she mentally ordered Quicksilver to run in and undo another latch on the helmet, sending another order to Toad to grab it with his tongue should the opportunity present itself once all the latches were taken care of.

Racing in, Quicksilver did so before being thrown off of the armoured brute. Juggernaut barely had time to move before he was wrapped in gale force winds and once again brought to the floor. Shadowcat phased through the wall with Rogue, both of whom managed to undo another latch each, then immediately ran in opposite directions to avoid his swipes.

Seeing an opportunity, Toad hopped up onto the wall. Shooting out his tongue, he snagged the helmet through the eyeholes and pulled it off the Juggernaut's head. Cain cried out as he attempted unsuccessfuly to grab it out of the air.

Looking up at his brother, he growled and made a last desperate charge, hoping to take Charles down before he could attack his mind.

Raising his fingers to his head, Xavier looked on at his brother sadly. "I'm sorry, Cain," he said.

Cain howled in pain and struggled to reach his half-brother as wave after wave of psychic force assaulted his mind. He managed to reach his chair before the attacks overcame him, and the unstoppable Juggernaut fell down, defeated.

The assembled teens cheered in victory. Mystique smirked as she observed them, commenting. "Now there's something you don't see every day."

Xavier smiled. "I agree," he said, "And that's a shame."

Mystique snorted, walking through the group and collective her charges. "C'mon, let's get out of here before you're invited to a slumber party."

Nabiki smirked, shooting Scott a sultry glance. "Mmm...that might be fun, though..." she grinned when she saw Jean glaring at her.

Lance turned to Scott and smirked. "Hey Summers," he said, "As a group leader, you don;t suck too much."

Scott returned the smirk, "Well, next time you can be in charge."

Lance snorted, waving a hand. "Trust me, there won't be a next time." he replied, following his leader out.

"Heh... hey y'guys won... coo'."

Mystique's head whipped over to look at the voice, her eyes widening in fear as she saw her son leaning against the ruined door frame. His body was broken and bleeding from, his clothes torn to rags and hanging off him. "Ranma!" she exclaimed in fear, rushing to his side.

He smiled weakly at her. "H'd t'make sure y'all w're okay, y'know?" he coughed up some blood, "Saw th'fight... look'd like fun... Don' worry 'bout me, 'm fine. Y'should see th'other guy." he laughed, a horrible choking sound that devolved into more bloody, hacking coughs. Falling to his knees, he added. "'m gonna go jus' rest now, k'?" his eyes rolled up into the back of his head as he fell down to the floor hard, blood pooling out of his mouth.

He dimly heard his mother cry out in fear before he completely lost consciousness.

* * *

End Chapter Seven

* * *

Author's notes: 

The fight scene between Ranma and Ryouga consumed a whole half a pack of smokes.

Okay, a few short notes here.

Ranma and Rogue are not quite a couple yet, but they know of each other's intentions. Ranma wants to take it slow to see how he things work out, Rogue knows she wants to be with him. Right now, they're at the level of "serious crush", though, so don't go thinking they're madly in love.

Ranma's telepathic immunity. I added that into this fic for two reasons, both involving the Neko-ken. The Telepathis immunity makes it impossible for anyone to get in and unleash the technique, but it also makes it impossible to cure with psychic healing. The second reason was the main one, because I think Chalres and jean together would easily be able to remove the technique if they worked together. And that makes things too easy.

Ranma's lack of random gender-changes via splashes of cold water: Ranma's female form is blue. This is not a common sight in a world that still doesn't know of mutants, nor is seeing someone spontaneously change gender. Any splashes in public would result in people seeing, and possible suspicion being cast on the Institute, and the possibility of mutants being revealed to the world. I don't plan for that to happen until it happens when it did in the Evolution timeline. They will start happening again soon, though, so don't fret; just because I gave him a semblance of control over the curse, doesn't mean I won't be causing him some grief because of it.

I should mention also, if I hadn't mentioned it before, I have never written a fight scene before I started this fic. Which means I'm very inexperienced with them. Thank you to everyone who gave positive reviews on the fight, it's been a great encouragement.

The next chapter will involve elements from the episode 'Shadowed Past', giving Mystique something else to worry about along with Ranma's recovery...

I would have an Omake here, where Ryouga and Ranma joined the fight against Juggernaut only to find out Jugsy was Ryouga's dad, but when I typed it up it wasn't near as funny as I thought it would be.

_Edited: June 9th, 2007. Fixed some spelling and grammar, fleshed some scenes out a little out a bit more, added notes._


	8. Chapter 8

**Evolution 1/2**

* * *

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim anything this story may indicate me claiming, although I never claimed that I made any claims on anything, but just in case anyone claims otherwise, I again disclaim. I do, however, claim ownership of Melinda; the collar she wears and the chains that bind her to my bed make her mine by rights.

* * *

Chapter Eight

* * *

From high above the mountain, a figure watched as the black jet took off, the teenagers that had been on the mountain moments before inside of it. The jet was not his concern, however.

The boy had failed. Despite all of his power, he had failed to bring down his opponent. Despite having victory in hand, his opponent had managed to win through a lucky mistake on the other boy's part. Saotome's nullification effect was truly remarkable, but his opponent had been foolish in how he used his power. His ki was capable of easily keeping him alive without food, water or sleep for days on end, but once that energy had vanished with a single touch, his body had turned on him.

He had abused his powers, that was an obvious fact to the figure. Perhaps he should have warned the young man while he was training him about his opponents abilities. Something to ponder.

The figure turned in midair, manipulating the magnetic fields around him to propel himself through the air. The boy had lost, but he had helped to provided adequate information on Saotome's abilities. The nullification effect was obviously not the boy's primary power, and he his observations had provided him with a possible theory on what path the boy's X-gene had actually taken. Some more testing would have to be done, however...

The figure flew slowly in the direction of Bayville. Ryouga had lost, yes, but the boy still had his uses.

* * *

The atmosphere outside the infirmary was tense. Ranma's mother struggled to hold back her fear, the worry for her son warring with the need to not look weak in front of the enemy. The only reason she was still in the mansion was because her son was injured, and even then she was under the guard of every other X-man. She settled for alternating between glaring at the group that surrounded her and glancing at the door in worry. Every so often, for reasons unknown to anyone else, she threw a glance at Kurt.

Rogue sat across the room from Mystique, staring directly at the door to the infirmary. Her eyes had not left it since Ranma had been taken in there several hours before. She had tried to go in there with him, but the Professor insisted that Tofu have no distractions while he worked. So she waited, silently accusing herself for letting this happen to Ranma. She could have touched the other boy if she'd tried hard enough, and then the fight wouldn't have even happened.

Kurt perched on his chair nervously, his tail swishing back and forth, worried for his friend. I hadn't known Ranma long, but he was one of the few who didn't seem weired out when he first saw Kurt's actual form. That, and the boy was great fun, to tease and pull pranks with. If he got out of this one alright, he'd be sure to get the pigtailed boy in on the one he was planning for Jean and Scott. He blinked in confusion when Mystique threw him a strange glance and spent the next several minutes trying to figure out what it meant.

Sitting in her chair with a book in her lap, Jean came to the slow realization she had yet to turn a page since she opened it. She couldn't even recall the title. She attempted to force herself to read, to distract herself from everything and attempt to force the time to pass at a less agonizingly slow pace. Within minutes she gave up.. her eyes traveling to watch Scott as he wore a groove in floor.

Scott was pacing in the middle of the room, his face rigid. One of his teammates had been hurt, and he hadn't been able to help him. What could he have done, though, leave the Brotherhood trapped in that cave-in? Despite the intense dislike he held for his foes, he knew he wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he hadn't done what he did. But still, he should have found a way to help Ranma too.

Evan subconsciously grew and withdrew razor-sharp spikes from his back as his thoughts focused angrily on the boy who'd done this to his friend. He had half a mind to march into the recovery room and spike the punk where he slept. His Aunt Ororo's hand on his shoulder was the only thing that stopped him, in fact. Glancing back at her, he saw her shake her head slowly, showing she knew exactly what he was thinking.

Ororo was so very tempted to let her nephew repay the other boy for all of this worry he had caused. In fact, she was tempted to do so herself. She didn't know Ranma too well, but he was as much a part of the family here as anyone else. And Ororo could not abide people who hurt her family. Still, she forced restraint upon herself.

Kitty sat in her chair, her arms wrapped around her legs and chin on her knees. Her eyes darted from one person in the room to the next. She hoped Ranma would be okay. She hoped the guy he'd been fighting would be okay. Maybe they could make up after all of this, so it wouldn't happen again. She hated seeing anyone hurt; why couldn't they all just be happy?

Everyone's heads shot upward and towards the door as it opened for the first time in hours. Scott stopped his pacing and rushed towards Doctor Tofu as he stepped out, closing the door behind him. He was beaten, however, by Mystique leaped to her feet and stared at the Doctor, waiting for any news on the condition of her child.

Tofu cleared his throat and smiled. "Congratulations, it's a boy," he said.

He flinched as seven glares struck him with what felt like the force of a cannonball. Okay, maybe opening with a joke to lighten the mood hadn't been such a good idea.

* * *

Logan glared down at the bandanna-clad boy that lay chained to one of the beds of the recovery wing of the mansion infirmary. His wounds were healing themselves, likely through unconscious use of the massive ki that dwell within the boy. Logan almost had to literally restrain himself from popping his claws, opening the guy up, and doing some exploratory surgery to remove the kid's x-gene.

Xavier held a hand to the boys head as he probed his mind to find answers. Normally, he wouldn't do such a thing without the permission of the person who's mind was involved, but he needed to know if this boy would remain a threat to Ranma and the Institute at large. He frowned and pulled his hand away as he came across a recent memory. "Magnus..." he murmured.

Looking up at the Professor, Logan growled. "Magneto? He's behind this kid?"

Xavier shook his head. "Not entirely," he replied, "Young Hibiki here apparently has a long-standing grudge against Ranma stemming from past perceived insults and slights, as well as unrequited love for a young woman who was apparently Ranma's fiancée before he came to Bayville."

"Fiancée?" Logan repeated, "The kid's barely seventeen, why the hell would he be engaged?"

"Apparently," Xavier responded," It was an arranged marriage. To continue, however, it seems shortly after Hibiki's mutant gene awakened, he was unable to control the vast amount of bio-energy within him. Magneto found him and offered to help him learn to control his power. Hibiki did not trust him, but accepted the instruction, leaving before it was technically complete." Xavier paused, frowning and shifting his eyes to the side. "If I know Erik, however, he let the boy go. He would not simply allow the boy to leave otherwise."

Logan growled. "So Buckethead taught the kid to partially control his powers, and set him loose to attack Ranma?"

"That is my belief," The professor agreed. "Although to what end, I cannot determine. But we will have to put that aside for the moment." he said, picking up a mental projection fro Tofu and turning his chair around and heading towards the door, "Come, Tofu has finished with Ranma."

"Shouldn't someone stay and guard the punk?" Logan grunted, gesturing towards the still-unconscious boy.

Xavier shook his head, "No, I do not believe that will be necessary," he said, "It will be some time before he awakens."

Shooting Ryouga's unconscious form one last glare, Logan followed Xavier out of the room.

* * *

"How do you think Saotome's doin'?" Pietro asked casually as CSI went to commercial. The Brotherhood were all in their house, sitting around the television watching their favourite show while waiting for their leader to return. They had initially wanted to stay, in order to make sure the pigtailed boy was alright, but Mystique had ordered them back to the house. Pietro assumed that, while she was worried about her son, she didn't want to risk the geeks corrupting any of her team to their side.

"Dunno," Lance replied, his gaze remaining on the TV, "He looked pretty banged up. That Ryouga kid did a real number on him." He wasn't nearly the best of friends with the pigtailed boy, but he was hardly enemies with him. And despite his hatred of Summers and most of the other X-Men, he had no desire to see any of them killed. "Whatta you think, Nabs? You know the kid pretty well."

Nabiki didn't respond, instead staring at the TV, eyes glazed over.

Todd raised a hand in front of Nabiki's face, waving it around and shaking the girl out of her trance. She shot the boy a glare and looked at the others. "What? I was downloading an episode of Naruto."

Pietro blinked, forgetting his question for a moment. "You can do that?"

"Yep," Nabiki grinning, "Just found out the other day. I can't watch it, though, but I can download the code for the file, then transfer it to a computer later." She smirked, "Think of the profit I can make with this! I can download movies, music, whatever, transfer them to the computer, burn them to CDs and DVDs, and sell them as bootleg copies." She cackled, wringing her palms together, "I love cyberpathy! I AM the ultimate file-sharing program!"

The rest of the Brotherhood exchanged nervous glances as their obviously-insane superior cackled madly at the thought of the money she could make. "Right..." Lance finally said. "Anyway, you know Ranma pretty well. You think he'll recover?"

Nabiki waved a hand in dismissal. "Oh yeah, he's taken worse," She paused for a moment, then added. "I think... I never really paid attention to his injuries before. But that boy's too stubborn to die." She smiled, "He'll be fine, no worries."

"That's good," Pietro said, leaning back in the couch beside her, "I'd hate for anything bad to happen to the kid," He smirked, "Not that I like him or anything."

"Right," Lance said, mirroring the smirk as he turned the volume of the television down when a unnecessarily loud commercial came on screen. "You just want him around to gloat over when you prove how much better you are."

"Of course," Pietro replied, "What other use would I have for him than to prove my obvious superiority?"

Nabiki rolled her eyes, "Boys," she simply commented, smirking at the questioning looks they all gave her.

Lance jerked and gave his hand a look of disgust as Toad's slimy tongue snatched the remote out of his grip. "Toad!" he growled, clenching a fist and making the house shake slightly, "Dammit, it's my night to hold the remote!"

"You weren't payin' attention," Todd replied, turning the volume back up and pointing to the television, "Show's back on."

* * *

Mystique grabbed Tofu by the collar and growled as she pulled his face to within inches of her own. "My son, Doctor," she hissed, trough clenched teeth.

Tofu nervously cleared his throat again and smiled widely. "Is alright, for now. He's stabilized, and still unconscious, but he should make a full recovery with time." He answered hurriedly.

Tofu soon found himself on the floor as the woman in front of him virtually vanished into the operating room of the infirmary. "You can - uh - go in and see him if you, um, wish..." he mumbled, narrowly pulling his hand away from the floor to avoid Rogue's boot as she followed Mystique in.

"Thanks Doctor," Scott said, a relieved tone evident in his voice as he helped Tofu back to his feet. "Although your little joke might have benefited from better timing." he added.

Tofu adjusted his glasses, "No one appreciates medical humour," he responded with a grin, ignoring the full diagnosis he received on the boy when he pulled him up. His powers greatly aided his chosen career, but it was often very annoying to receive a full medical diagnosis of a person every time he touched them. Especially the time on the bus when that man had accidentally brushed his hand when passing him by. He had really not needed to know the horrifying details of the man's hemorrhoid problem. He suppressed a shudder at the memory.

"So he's really going to be alright?" Jean asked.

Tofu nodded. "I believe so, yes," he answered with a smile, "Although I had to rely on the infirmary's diagnostic equipment due to Ranma's nullification effect, I was able to accurately determine the extent of the boy's extreme injuries." He paused, "Surprisingly, his injuries are not as nearly as extensive as they appear to be. The majority of it seems to be exhaustion and muscle fatigue, in fact."

"How can that be," Ororo asked, "He was bleeding and bruised in such a way I was certain there had to be internal injuries."

Tofu shrugged, looking towards the door as Xavier and Logan entered the room. "Nearly all surface injuries," he said absently, "If you will excuse me for a moment. Professor," he greeted, turning towards the wheelchair-bound telepath, "May I speak with you for a moment? In private?"

Xavier raised an eyebrow but nodded silently, turning his chair around to go back into the hallway. Tofu followed, taking hold of the handles on the back of the chair to push Xavier along, soon moving out of sight.

Kurt watched them go, scratching his head. "Vonder vhat that vas about..." he pondered aloud.

Logan grunted. "So how's the kid?"

"Doctor Tofu said he should be fine," Kitty answered with a smile, giving the doctor and professor one last glance. She was tempted to follow and eavesdrop on whatever Tofu was planning to tell their mentor, but decided against it. "Said it was like, mostly exhaustion and stuff."

"How's the other guy?" Evan asked, frowning as a long razor-sharp bone-spike extended from his wrist.

"Still unconscious," Logan growled, "And healing quickly thanks to his powers." He glanced at Evan, "I know what yer thinkin' porcupine, and as much satisfaction as ya might get from skewerin' him..."

"...it's not what the X-Men do," Evan finished with a sigh, retracting the spike.

"It's a good thing that I am not an X-man, then," Mystique said angrily as she exited the operating room. Her face was a mask of rage as she made a beeline for the door. She growled as Logan stepped in her way. "Out of my way, you hairy lummox!" she snarled.

"No can do, Mystique," Logan replied, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at her. "The kid's unconscious anyway."

Glaring at him, Mystique attempted to step around him. "Don't worry, he'll be still be unconscious when I'm through with him."

Logan grabbed her shoulder, stopping her attempts to get past him. "I think it's time you left for the night, lady," he stated firmly. "Go home, get some sleep and calm down."

Fury erupted in Mystique's eyes. "Calm?! CALM?! You expect me to remain calm after that bastard did this to my son!? I plan to tear him to shreds!" Her eyes narrowed, "He hurt my baby, and I will have my vengeance.

Logan remained stoic, staring back at her. "Well, you won't be gettin' it here, lady."

Glaring at him, Mystique refused to back off. The other X-Men behind her prepared themselves for the possibility of a fight between the two.

* * *

"I'm no scientist," Tofu said as he slowly wheeled Xavier down the hallway, "but I did notice some very peculiar things while looking examining the boy."

"Such as?" Xavier asked his voice tinged with worry. "Nothing bad, I hope."

Tofu chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "No, nothing bad," he answered, "but still most peculiar."

Xavier noticeably relaxed, and now curiosity was present on his features. "Such as?"

"First of all," Tofu started, "his body was repairing itself at a much higher rate than it should be capable of."

"Hmmm," Charles said, "Perhaps his conditioning has allowed him to heal faster?"

Tofu shook his head. "While such a thing is possible for highly-skilled martial artists and others in excellent physical condition," he replied, "I am afraid you misunderstand. It is literally IMPOSSIBLE for the body to heal itself in with the speed Ranma's currently, without the aid of a mutant healing factor or another similar source. And the source of this healing is NOT mutant in origin, that much I was able to determine," he added, cutting off Xavier's next question. "But the oddest thing, surprisingly, wasn't the healing that was going on." He said.

Xavier blinked, looking over his shoulder at the doctor, "There is more?"

"Yes," Tofu said with another nod. "His muscle tissue. It was far denser than it was during the last full diagnosis I did on him several days ago, after that incident in the Danger Room. But the odd thing about that was, his muscles were not staying that way. They were, for lack of a better term, recycling themselves, losing much of their density and returning to the state they were in during the last diagnosis." He adjusted his glasses, "In fact, the same thing was happening to various other parts of his body; his bone density, skin thickness, respiratory system - they were all recycling from a stronger and far more efficient state, back to what they were during the last diagnosis."

He paused, then concluded, "It's my guess that this 'recycling' is the actual reason behind Ranma's currently unconscious and exhausted state."

Xavier raised a hand to his chin, considering everything Tofu had told him. "Fascinating," he said after a few minutes, "I had a feeling the nullification effect was not the extent of the boy's mutant abilities," he said, "From what I was able to get out of Rogue about the fight the boy was involved in, Ranma may have been pushed to his physical limits during the confrontation. If I were to make a hypothesis," he said, pausing for a moment to fully gather his thoughts, "I would say the child's body may be capable of improving itself rapidly to combat serious threats his current body cannot handle, and then returning to it's previous state after the threat has been dealt with."

He frowned, "But that does not explain his nullification effect, nor the rapid healing you mentioned earlier," he added. "So I do not know if my hypothesis is in any way correct."

"Well," Tofu replied, turning the chair around once they reached the end of the hallway, "Like I said, I'm a doctor, not a scientist. You are one of the leading experts on the planet in this particular field," He smiled, "so any guess you might have would be far more accurate than mine."

Xavier returned the smile, "You understate your capabilities, old friend," he said, "any insights you might have could help greatly. When young Ranma has fully recovered," he added, "and if he agrees, I would like to perform some tests to determine how accurate my hypothesis might be."

Tofu nodded silently, his own mind running through the possibilities of what he had seen happening to the boy could mean. If Charles was indeed correct, he did not know if it would be a good idea to tell Ranma. While the boy didn't seem to mind being a mutant, - something that had scared Tofu half to death upon his own X-gene's development all those years ago - he knew that if the boy's powers had any effect on his abilities as a martial artist, he might come to resent what he was.

His skill as a fighter was a major source of pride in Ranma's life, and if it turned out to all be a result of genetics instead of hard work and dedication, the boy might be devastated.

* * *

Ryouga slept soundly in his current state of unconsciousness. His dreams consisted of the fight he had just lost, despite the overwhelming power he now possessed.

Still asleep, Ryouga's bed began to rise in the air. The medical equipment he was attached to began to fail, sparks flying as the monitors shorted out and filled with static.

The bed with the unconscious boy began floating forward, making it's way through the door and somehow maneuvering its way throughout the corridors of the mansion without being seen. Upon passing a window, it stopped.

Outside the window, a shadowed figure floated in the air with it's hand raised. With a sharp pulling gesture, the bed crashed through the window towards the figure, shards of glass flying as alarms started blaring throughout the mansion.

Turning around silently, the figure floated off into the night, the bed keeping pace in the air behind him, it's passenger unaware of his current state of transport.

* * *

The stalemate between Logan and Mystique was interrupted by a loud alarm sounding throughout the mansion. Cursing, Logan immediately fled the room, claws extended as he raced to where the other boy was being held. Mystique followed behind him, thinking the same thing he was.

"The bastard must have escaped!" She declared angrily as she kept pace with Logan. First the angry X-Men had tried to deny her the chance to have her vengeance, and now the boy himself dared to try and escape to deny it further. If he thought getting out of the mansion would delay the inevitable, he definitely had another thing coming.

"Impossible," Logan growled back, "We chained him to the bed with adamantium-plated steel, no way in hell he could break that!"

Upon reaching the room, the pair stopped. The boy was indeed gone, as was the bed. The equipment in the room looked like it had seen better days, but beyond that, no sign of a struggle seemed to have taken place.

"Obviously," Mystique snarled, "he decided to take the bed with him."

Scott arrived behind them, Jean and Kitty along with him, "The alarm was caused by a window on the ground floor being broken," he told them. Noticing the lack of occupants in the room, he added, "And now it appears we know by who."

Mystique growled in fury. "If he thinks he can escape without consequence after what he did to my son," she bit out, pushing her way through the group angrily, "He is dead wrong. Take me to the window." She ordered.

Scott frowned, about to object when Logan cut him off.

"Take her, Scott," He grunted. He knew better than to get in the way of an angry mother. And despite the fact that he had done just that earlier, the boy had escaped, which meant he could return as a threat to the mansion in general, not just Ranma.

Scott nodded and did so, the others following along after him. Upon reaching the broken window, Logan sniffed the air and jumped out, Mystique changing into wolf and doing the same.

After walking several feet, however, they both stopped still. Sharing a glance, Mystique returned to her normal form. "You lost the kid's scent to, I take it?"

Mystique growled, "Yes... it just seems to vanish in mid air." She glared up into the night. "Either the boy can fly, or he somehow has other means of covering his tracks." She turned her gaze back to Logan. "That will not stop me, however," she said coldly, "I will be going after him, and you will not stop me. If there are any changes in my son's condition, I will expect you to leave a message with my team."

Seeing Logan's nod in agreement after several moments, Mystique's form rapidly shifted into that of an owl and she flew off without another word.

Logan sighed, stepping back into the mansion. "Alright, you kids get ta bed," he ordered, "Since ya left the camp early, looks like I'll be takin' over yer survival trainin'." He grinned, "An' yer gonna need the sleep."

He ignored the groans as the kids made their way to their rooms.

* * *

As soon as the others had ran off to investigate the alarm, Kurt had stepped into the infirmary to check on Rogue and Ranma. The former was sitting in a chair right next to the bed, her un-gloved hand holding on to Ranma's own. Seeing Rogue look up at him for a brief moment, he waved and greeted her. "Hey."

"Hey." She returned absently, looking back down at the comatose boy.

"Quite a day," he said with a half smile as he took a seat of his own.

"Yeah, we started off findin' out tha Brotherhood got a new recruit, went ta a stupid camp, watched Ranma almost get himself killed, then had ta save tha Prof from his revenge-crazed unstoppable half-brother." She snorted, "Quite a day, indeed."

Kurt laughed, "The doctor said he vould be fine, Rogue," he responded.

"He saved mah life," She said softly, "He saved mah life when Ah fell off tha summit. He hit the ground hard and kept me safe..." she paused, feeling emotion she usually kept buried begin to well up. "If Ah hadn'ta fallen, he wouldn'ta had ta catch me, and he wouldn'ta hit tha ground 'n hurt himself worse than he already was from tha fight..."

"Rogue," Kurt said soothingly, "It's not your fault. You cahn't blame yourself."

"Why not?" She asked angrily, "Ah coulda found a way to stop tha fight before it began! Ah coulda touched Ryouga, drained him dry. Ah coulda stopped tha fight before it started. Ah coulda been more aware o' mah surroundin's and not fallen. Ah coulda tried ta get help sooner." She laughed bitterly and without humour, "Ah coulda done a lot..."

"None of that is your fault," he responded calmly, though inwardly he was a little taken aback by the vehemence of her words. "You didn't know the other guy vould be that strong, and if you had gotten in close enough to touch him, he might have hurt you too. And then there vould be two beds in this infirmary currently occupied."

"Kurt is right, Rogue," The pair looked up to see Xavier and Tofu entering the room. "I have probed Ryouga's mind, and his desire for vengeance towards Ranma would not have stopped him from getting you out of the way. Not with the state of mind he was in, at least."

"Vhy did he vant to hurt Ranma in the first place, Professor?" Kurt asked. It was something that he'd been wondering since he saw what little of the fight he had. He couldn't imagine hating someone so much he would try to hurt them that badly.

"A number of reasons, Kurt," Xavier replied, "Apparently, the young man has a history with our friend, and it is not a pleasant one. It is not my place to say, but young Ryouga seems to have a degree of emotional and mental instability when in regards to Ranma, and blames him for many of the misfortunes of his life. The activation of his mutant powers heightened this rage to new levels."

"He's a mutant?" Rogue asked, although she realized it made sense. While she had suspected the boy was just another high-level martial artist like Ranma, the end of the fight made he think otherwise. When Ranma had touched him, all of his rage seemed to just up and vanish, and he had fallen unconscious. Very similar to the effect of her own powers, in fact.

"Yes," Xavier nodded, "And you are correct, that is the reason the fight ended the way it did. His mutant gene grants him the ability to safely generate and contain ten times the bio-energy - or ki - then he normally would as a human," He explained. "His already volatile emotions were amplified greatly by the vast amount of energy his body contained. What's more, he was abusing this energy, allowing it to sustain him without food, water, or sleep for several days while he searched for Ranma." He paused, "When he grabbed and made skin contact with Ranma for an extended period of time at the end of the fight, it was long enough for Ranma's nullification to take full effect. Without the energy to sustain his body, the days without sleep or other necessities crashed down on him all at once."

"An' he collapsed," Rogue finished.

"Precisely," Xavier confirmed, nodding.

"An' then Ah fell, and Ranma almost killed himself to save me..." Rogue added, her tone and posture sinking into depression as she squeezed the prone Ranma's hand tightly. His hand was hard and calloused, as well as cold, but she enjoyed the feel of it against her skin regardless.

"It is not your fault, Rogue," Xavier said soothingly, wheeling himself closer and placing a hand on her shoulder. "No one here is blaming you for what happened."

"If yah insist..." Rogue said, although she didn't sound like she was convinced.

"I mean it, Rogue." Xavier repeated, "Any fault there might be lies with the boy who attacked Ranma."

"Who happens to have escaped," Logan grunted as he entered the room. "Chuck, I need ta talk to ya. You kids need ta get ta bed, I'm takin' over yer survival trainin' tomorrow."

"Ah'm not gonna leave 'im," Rogue said, shooting Logan a glare.

Logan was about to respond when Xavier cut him off, "And you don't have to, Rogue," he said with a smile. "I'm sure Tofu can find you a place in the infirmary to sleep if you wish."

"It won't be a problem," Tofu said, smiling.

"Alright," Kurt said, unable to hold back a yawn as he left the room, followed by Logan and Xavier. Waving a three-fingered hand at the two as he turned to head down the hall, he pictured his bedroom in his mind and vanished in a bright flash and a puff of smoke.

Reappearing in his room, Kurt got himself ready for bed. As he changed into his night clothes - which tonight was a pair of light green boxers and a yellow t-shirt - he couldn't help but wonder at the looks Mystique had been shooting him all night. They weren't the usual looks he got from the woman, which were mostly dismissive or angry, depending on the situation. He swore he must be crazy for thinking this, but they seemed almost... longing, in a way, and possibly regretful.

But what would Mystique have to be regretful about in regards to him? It didn't make any sense; they were enemies, and he doubted her short time with Ranma had made her look upon any of them else with any kind of favour.

The question remained on his mind as he fell asleep, the events and activities of the day bringing slumber hitting him all at once and bringing slumber quickly.

* * *

"And you are certain it was Magneto?" Xavier questioned, steepling his hands in front of his face.

"Positive, Charles," Logan replied with a nod. "He may have been able to hide from the mansion's sensors, and Cerebro wouldn't have been able to detect him if it was still operational, but he can't hide his scent from me no matter how hard he tries."

Xavier hmmed to himself, "Obviously, Erik has further plans for the boy, but what could they be?" He shook his head, "I'm afraid, as pressing as the matter is, I will be able to think on it better with a good night's sleep. And Logan," he added, turning his chair around, "give the children some time to rest. School will let out for summer break in a month's time," he smirked as he left the room. "You can take care of their survival training then."

Logan frowned, but accepted this. He grinned when he realized he could put them through even tougher conditions if they didn't have to worry about grades and school the whole time. Heading to his own bedroom, his grin widened as several ideas for the trip occurred to him. He wondered how hard it would be to get a bear...

* * *

Mystique flew through the night, the enhanced vision of the owl-form she had taken allowing her to see perfectly in the night as she scoured the ground for the bastard who had hurt her child.

She forced herself to think of Ranma alone, not wanting to possibly believe the thought that had developed throughout the night in regards to the blue-furred boy on Xavier's team. But she couldn't keep it away.

The blue fur. The prehensile tail with the arrowpoint at the end. The three-fingered hands and odd legs. All traits shared with the child she had been forced to give up, Ranma's younger half-brother. She could not believe she hadn't noticed it before, but she hazarded the guess that the arrival of Ranma had spurred forth the memories of his brother from where they had been long buried for so many years.

Memories of a looming castle in the German countryside. Memories of betrayal, her leader taking her child and... doing things to him. Horrid things, which brought out his mutant gene before he was even a week old, resulting in his demon-like appearance. Memories of being chased by both wolves and her superior across a rickety old bridge.

Of being caught by the wolves, her cloak snagged and pulled, causing her to lose her grip on her child as she struggled to keep him out of harm's way. Her baby falling from her arms and into the raging river below.

Of managing to find her child, just as he was discovered int he river by a childless couple, who did not seem upset by his appearance. Deciding he would be safe with them, and away from the madness of her superior, despite how much it hurt to give him up.

She was certain. But it should have been impossible, not to mention improbable.

What were the odds both her sons would end up with Xavier?

Apparently, quite high.

She pushed the thought from her mind for the moment as she focused on her search. That boy had better hope she didn't find him.

* * *

Rogue awoke slowly, dreams of a woman in a cloak being chased by wolves quickly fading from her mind. Looking at the clock, she saw it was morning now. A quick glance over to the boy in the bed beside he showed he had yet to regain consciousness.

Slowly she slipped out of bed, taking the chair next to his. He looked a bit better now, and his breathing seemed easier, which brought her a great deal of relief. Taking his hand, which had felt cold and slightly clammy the previous night, she smiled as she felt the warmth that now emanated from it. She stared at his face, smiling softly to herself.

"You got it so bad, girl."

Her head jerked to the side, her face flushing slightly as she saw Kitty leaning against the doorway, smirking at her. "Ah do not!" She tried to deny.

Kitty rolled her eyes, "Oh, please Rogue," she replied, "I was like, there during that kiss Friday night, and I so saw the kiss you gave him yesterday." She grinned at Rogue's blush, "And you were here all night watching over him. Face it girl," she concluded, crossing her arms over her chest triumphantly, "You got it bad for that boy."

Rogue, her face still tinged with red, looked away, "Fine..." she admitted softly, "Ah got a small crush on him. Happy?"

Kitty grinned and nodded her head rapidly. "Very." She pushed off the door and walked to the other side of his bed, giving Ranma a closer look. "How's he doing?" she asked.

"Ah ain't no doctor," Rogue said, her eyes not leaving the boy's face, "but he seems ta be doin' better. He's breathin' easier, at least, an' his skin ain't cold no more."

"Well that's good," Kitty said, her voice relieved. "I still can't believe that jerk escaped last night, though," she frowned.

Rogue growled, "He's better off gone," she said angrily, "'cause if he was here,Ah'd have drained all his precious power right on outta him."

Kitty shivered at her tone. "Well, like, apparently Logan's going to wait until summer for our survival training, but that means we have to go back to school." She winced, "And it looks like we all failed the camp when we didn't come back." Scott had suggested staking a quick picture and dropping the flag from the jet before they left, but since time had been of the essence, he'd been outvoted. "Which means my perfect GPA is ruined..."

Rogue gave her a look, "Aren't ya nearly failin' P.E.?"

Kitty ignored her, "Anyway, if you like, want some breakfast, you'd better get up there before Kurt eats it all. And Professor X is probably going to insist you go to school today."

"Ah may as well..." Rogue sighed, standing up and letting go of the boy's hand. "Otherwise it'll jus' be me an sleepin' beauty here all day." Smirking as the reference gave her an idea, she leaning in and gave him a quick kiss. "Nope, didn't work..."

She blushed as she followed a giggling Kitty out of the room.

* * *

"Alright..." Nabiki said as she eyed the students around the cafeteria, "Where do I begin..."

"Are we gonna get anythin' outta this?" Freddy asked, taking a moment to stop eating.

"Yeah," Pietro replied, "We better be getting a cut of the take if you're gonna insist we help ya out with this."

"Seven percent each," Nabiki responded absently, her eyes still roaming around the room. How did she start it up all those years ago again? She'd been doing it for so long, she couldn't even remember how she'd gotten started.

"Fifteen percent." Pietro countered.

"Ten," Nabiki replied, finally looking over at the silver-haired boy, frowning and shooting him her Ice Queen gaze. Her old subordinates had been happy with seven percent.

"Thirteen or your on your own, Nabs." Pietro answered, unaffected by the look. He'd received it before from his father, and the girl couldn't pull it off nearly as well as his old man.

Normally, she wouldn't bother haggling with her factors; instead, she would find new ones who'd be willing to work for what she offered them. But these boys already reported to her, technically, and they each had experience with less-than-reputable means of making money. Lance had used to steal and sell the answers to tests at his old school - something she liked the sound of -, while Todd had been, and still was, a pick-pocket. Freddy was a natural bully, experienced with shaking kids down for their lunch money - an often, their lunches - and Quicksilver, before he'd been caught by that Evan kid, used to use his speed to break into lockers. While most of those weren't subtle enough for her preferred methods, the fact that they all had experience and didn't mind committing such acts in the first place made them too valuable to turn away. "Fine." She said finally, "Thirteen percent."

Pietro smirked. "Good to see we're seeing eye-to-eye on things, Nabs," he replied, speedily swiping a french fry off of Freddy's tray. "So where do we start?"

"That's what I've been trying to determine," Nabiki replied, turning her gaze back to the student body. She could easily connect to the school network and bypass any security they had up, and what's more she couldn't be traced. Acquiring the tests and the answers was easy, but starting up operations was the hard part. She had to know beforehand which students would make decent clients and which ones would rat her boys out.

And Redhead over there would catch her if she tried to find out with her powers. While she expected the girl would find out eventually, having her discover their plans before they even got underway would hamper them quite significantly.

* * *

Jean shot the girl sitting with the Brotherhood a glare. "She's planning something..." she muttered to her teammates. "I just know it."

"Why don't you just read her mind and find out what?" Evan asked, looking inside his empty milk carton with dismay.

"After that lecture I gave her yesterday about not going into other people's heads without permission?" Jean replied, shaking her head. "No. For one thing, I believe and follow that rule to the letter, unlike her. And for another, she would know I was doing it."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Kitty said, "I mean, Ranma had to be exaggerating about what she's like, right?"

Scott frowned. "I don't think he was," He answered, "I don't know why, but I get a bad feeling from that girl."

"Which I'm sure is accompanied by a few other feelings, yeah?," Kurt added with a grin, laughing as Scott blushed, answering his question.

* * *

As Rogue opened her locker to put her books away, she was greeted by -to her ears - a very unpleasant and unwelcome voice.

"Hey, um, aren't you one of Ranma's friends? I'm sorry, I can't remember your name. Do you know why he isn't in school today? Is he alright?"

Holding back a groan, she turned to face Melinda with a cool look. "Ah am. Rogue. Yes, and Ah don't feel like tellin' you," She replied, answering all of the girl's questions.

Melinda frowned. "Hey, what's with the attitude? I barely know you." She grinned, "This is about Ranma, isn't it? I've seen how you look at him, and I saw you at the theater Friday night with your brown-haired friend."

"Ah don't know what yer talkin' about," Rogue replied, shutting her locker. Melinda had known they were there? She could understand Ranma catching them, but MELINDA?! She made a mental note to have herself and Kitty seriously work on their stealth skills.

"Oh please," Melinda said, rolling her eyes. "It's so obvious that you like him, don't even try to deny it." She smirked and kept pace with Rogue as the goth girl starter walking. "And since you followed us on our date, you must have seen that little goodnight kiss I gave him."

"Ah said Ah don't know what yer talkin' about." Rogue repeated, her tone turning colder.

"I saw you and your friend, Rogue," She said the other girl's name in a mocking tone. "You were sitting three rows behind us in the theater, and I heard you two when you were hiding behind the big tree across from my house," She smirked, "It was some kiss, wasn't it? I'm certain had I pressed a little harder, I could have gotten him to come inside with-"

"Ah saw it," Rogue interrupted, stopping and turning to face the blond girl with a glare, "And Ah'll have you know, right after yer pathetic lil' smooch, Ah gave him a kiss that left him catatonic!" She smirked, flipping a lock white hair out of her eyes, "And Ah already know he likes me bettah."

Melinda frowned. "Think what ever you like, girl," she replied, "No way in hell Ranma would want you when he could have me," she put her hands on her hips and thrust out her chest, emphasizing her body.

Rogue rolled her eyes, thrusting out her own chest, "Please, Ah got everythin' you have, and Ah don't need ta show it off!"

The two girls glared at each other for several minutes. Several students who were passing by did so a little more quickly. One student said the word "Catfight" and was promptly struck with several notebooks.

"I really don't like you," Melinda said finally, her glare still in full effect.

"Tha feelin's mutual," Rogue shot back, not letting up in her own gaze of death.

"So that's the way it's going to be, huh?" Melinda commented. "Competing over Ranma."

"May tha best woman win," Rogue replied, "Which, Ah'll have you know, Ah already have."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, skunk-hair," Melinda said coldly, "Melinda Frost doesn't lose. I always get what I want in the end."

The pair glared at each other for a few seconds longer, then both turned their noses up, 'hmmphed', and walked away in opposite directions.

Nabiki shut her locker as the two girls disappeared down opposite ends of the hallway and grinned widely, incredibly happy that she had forgotten her notebook. _'Ah, Saotome...'_ she thought to herself, _'Even half a world away, you're still up to your old tricks.'_ She stifled the urge to giggle, "This is going to be too much fun," she whispered to herself as she made her way back to the cafeteria. "Wonder if they know he's engaged to three women..."

Down the hall, Rogue was mentally hitting herself with a blunt object. _'That was smart, Rogue,'_ she berated herself. _'Gettin' into an argument over Ranma with the chatterbox, like he was some kinda prize to be won. Still,'_ she added after a moments thought, her face turning into a mask of determination, _'Ah can't let that skank get her claws inta him, even if he doesn't want me in tha end.'_

* * *

"Hey, Kitty, wait up!"

Kitty stopped and turned around, sighing softly. "What is it Lance?" she asked slightly apprehensively.

"I just wanted to ask ya if Saotome was doing any better," Lance said.

"Oh," Kitty said, "Uh, he's doing much better. Hasn't woken up yet, but the Professor said he'd let us know like, the moment it happened."

"That's good," Lance said as they started walking towards the parking lot. "Yeah, he looked pretty banged up yesterday. We were kinda worried 'bout him, but Nabs said he's had worse."

"Really?" She couldn't imagine anyone looking any more half-dead than Ranma had, "Yeah, that Ryouga guy really did a number on him," Kitty paused, then looked over at Lance, "He actually escaped last night somehow. Mystique was so peeved, she took off to hunt him down."

Lance snorted, "I bet," he replied, "She's crazy about that kid. Never figured Mystique to be the 'mom' type."

Kitty giggled. "Well," she said, "she hasn't seen him in like, years, right? Probably has a lot of motherly-type things to make up for."

"Heh," Lance smirked, "Well, that's all I wanted to know," he said, turning to head to his jeep where the rest of the Brotherhood were waiting. "See ya Kitty," he waved over his shoulder. "Let us know if the kid's condition changes."

Kitty bit her lip as she watched him go, then turned to head over to Scott's car.

* * *

Tofu frowned as he looked up from the results of the diagnostic equipment. It didn't make any sense. Four days had passed since Ranma's fight with Ryouga, and he had yet to wake up. He was completely healed, for the most part, and there was no mental or cranial damage that could explain his current comatose state. "Most frustrating," he mumbled as he turned to face Xavier.

"It could be mental fatigue," Xavier hypothesized, looking done at the boy. "He was pushed quite hard during the fight, perhaps his mind couldn't handle the strain." He paused, frowning. "Unfortunately, due to the boys telepathic immunity, I can't get into his mind to be certain."

"And I can't use my telediagnosis to determine if it's anything else." Tofu sighed, taking the teapot off the burner when it whistled. Pouring himself and Charles a cup, he sat down across from his friend. "Which means there is nothing we can do but wait." Maybe that would work.

Xavier sighed, nodding in agreement. He honestly could not think of anything else, and he was rather worried about the boy. The other residents of the mansion were naturally worried, Rogue -and oddly enough, Kurt - especially so. The girl had spent every moment she could spare outside of school and sleeping checking in on the boy. Xavier couldn't help but smile; he could tell without looking in Rogue's mind that she had started to develop feelings for the young man. He had been worried her powers would cause her to withdraw even further from people than her own natural desires had already made her, but the boy's arrival seemed to have nipped that in the bud. He made it a point to not butt in on the private lives of his charges, - as long as they did nothing illegal - trusting them to make the right decisions, or come to him if they needed any help, but inwardly he was pleased at the strong friendship the two had formed so soon after meeting.

Kurt was a surprise, though. While the blue-furred German boy was easy to get along with and seemed to form friendships quite easily, since Ranma's hospitalization he seemed to show an extra amount of concern for the pigtailed boy. Then again, who was Xavier to say if Kurt would not react that way if it were any of his other friends in that bed? The boy had been shunned because of his appearance most of his life, spending most of it hiding away from the world in his foster parents home. The few times he had gone out into the small village he had grown up in, he had been chased by frightened villagers, thinking he was a demon. In a way, Xavier realized, the first friends the boy had ever truly had were made after he had come to the Institute. So it actually did make sense why Kurt was so concerned; the boy was very protective of his friends, and he dreaded the thought of losing any one of them. Perhaps it was not to surprising after all...

"Unngh... okay, that truck backed over me enough times, so someone hadta hav gotten tha license plate number offa it..."

Xavier blinked, and turned his head to look at the recently awakened boy. Glancing back at Tofu, he saw the man grinning widely.

"Old medical technique," The doctor claimed, standing up, "Do everything you can, find out nothing works, and then declare 'there's nothing we can do but wait'. The patient should awaken shortly after the statement is made." He chuckled at the look on Xavier's face. "Works every time."

Shooting Tofu a smirk and a roll of his eyes, Xavier wheeled himself to the boy's bedside as Tofu moved to the other. "Welcome back, Ranma," he said kindly. "You had us all very worried."

"'bout what, Prof?" He asked, glancing over at the doctor. "How long I been out, Doc?"

"About four days, Ranma," The doctor replied, using a small hand light to examine the inside of Ranma's ear. "It's Friday afternoon."

"No way," Ranma said incredulously, "I ain't never been laid out that long after a fight!"

"You were pushed well beyond your physical limits, Ranma," Xavier told him after sending a quick message to the other students that Ranma had finally awakened. "And perhaps beyond your mental limits as well," he added as Tofu shined the light into Ranma's eyes.

"Yeah, that was weird," Ranma said as the memory of the fight slowly came back to him. "I don't even know how I won in tha end. Ryouga musta found a new trick - there ain't no way he coulda become that much tougher or stronger in such a short time."

"You are partially correct, Ranma," Xavier said, "Ryouga's new 'trick', as you refer to it, is actually due to the activation of his x-gene."

Ranma blinked. "Ryouga's a mutant?"

Xavier nodded. "Indeed," he answered, "His body is capable of generating and safely storing ten times more bio-energy, or ki, than a man with his exact physical conditioning and skill. This extra ki was how he was able to make himself stronger and faster, but it was also the result of his defeat."

"He had been pushing himself hard to find you, Ranma," Xavier continued, "He went several days without eating, drinking, even sleeping in order to track you down. His ki was the only thing sustaining his body while you fought-"

"And when he grabbed my wrist," Ranma cut off, understanding passing over him, "My null effect cut off tha ki that was keepin' him standin'." He frowned, "Which means I didn't really win that fight. My powers did."

"Precisely," Xavier replied, noting the upset tone in the boy's voice.

"That sucks!" Ranma exclaimed. "I gotta step up my trainin'. Been lettin' myself slack off too much since I got here." He frowned when the full nature of Ryouga's power came back to him. The guy had way too much ki for him to combat him on a fair level, and there was no way in hell he would be able to build up enough ki to match him, even if his body was capable of handling such a large amount. He pulled himself up, wincing slightly as his joints popped and four days of lethargy hit him. Ignoring it, he swung himself onto the edge of the bed.

"Ranma," Tofu said, "Take it slow, please. You have been bedridden for the better part of a week."

"Can't, doc," he replied, standing up slightly shakily. He flexed his arms to get the blood flowing through them properly again, wincing a bit as the sensations of pins and needle briefly hit his limbs. "Gotta get trainin' more than ever in fact. Ryouga'll be back, an I gotta figure out a way to counter his powers."

Tofu sighed, knowing it was fruitless to try and object further. Ranma had always been too stubborn to listen to his doctor's advice. "Just try to take it easy for a while, Ranma." He said.

Ranma nodded absently as his mind raced through the various options. The null field would only work when he was touching him, and pig boy would likely know of his powers the next time. He could easily use his extra ki to enhance his speed and dodge any attempt Ranma made to shut off his powers. What's more, Ranma didn't want to rely on his powers to beat P-chan. But since the Lost Boy didn't seem to have any problem doing the same, it meant using the nullification was his only option.

He shivered slightly. Did someone leave a window open or something?

Ranma frowned as he made his way out the infirmary door, not paying attention to the shocked look Ororo gave him as he passed her by, nor the blush that sprouted on her cheeks. The problem with using the null effect was it only lasted as long as Ryouga was touching him, or vice versa. It didn't work through clothing, and he couldn't project it any further than his skin.

He blinked as a thought occurred to him. Or could he? Would it be possible to project his nullification further? Maybe in a radius, or some type of blast. And if he could, how long would the effect last?

"Only one wa ta find out..." he muttered as he passed by Logan, who did a double-take. Blinking, he looked at the older man. "What?" he asked, "Didn't the Prof tell ya I was awake?"

"Yeah," Logan replied, smirking, "And it's good ta have ya back among the conscious, pigtail."

"Good to be back," Ranma replied, "But what's with the funny look?"

"Charles let us know you were conscious, kid," He replied, a full grin breaking out on his face. "He didn't tell us you were walkin' around naked."

Ranma blinked, looking down slowly. Huh. No wonder it felt so drafty. Eeeping as the full realization of his current state of dress - or lack thereof - hit him, he fled.

Logan laughed uproariously as the kid bolted for his room faster than Quicksilver during a sugar rush.

* * *

Rogue raced out the school doors, not caring as she nearly bowled over a group of students. Dodging the cars in the parking lot, she practically leaped into the passenger seat of Scott's convertible, buckling her seatbelt. "Hurry it up, laser eyes!" She demanded, "Start tha car 'n get us back ta tha mansion!"

Wondering why her command wasn't being heeded, she looked over into the driver's seat. Ah, that's why they weren't moving. Scott hadn't arrived yet.

Tapping her foot impatiently, she tried to spontaneously develop telepathy to yell at the others to get here and stop wasting time.

The last four days had been very difficult for Rogue. The boy she was developing feelings for had been in coma, she kept having hazy and disturbing dreams about wolves and a baby, she was squaring off against Melinda on a near-daily basis, and finals were soon approaching, which meant her teachers were pushing her even harder than before. And to top it off now, Ranma had finally woken up, and her teammates were being a bunch of slowpokes!

Rogue was about to ditch the car and run the entire way to the mansion when they finally arrived. "What tha heck took y'all so long?" She demanded as they reached the car.

"I like, had to let Lance and the others know," Kitty replied defensively, "So they could, y'know, tell Ranma's mom."

"Whatever," Rogue said dismissively, "Get in and start the car already!"

"Woah, calm down Rogue," Scott said as he sat down in the driver's seat. "Ranma will still be awake no matter how soon we get there. We're all thrilled he finally woke up, but-"

"Scott," She interrupted calmly, reaching an ungloved hand out just millimeters from his face, "Shut up an' start the car before Ah drain tha ability ta drive from ya an' do it mahself."

Scott gulped, not moving. "Yes ma'am." He replied weakly, doing as he was told.

* * *

Mystique slammed the door behind her as she stomped into her house. Another day wasted on fruitless searching for the bastard who harmed her son had turned up nothing. Four days of searching and not a single result! It was like the punk had vanished off the face of the earth! And what's more, her baby was still unconscious, a fact that, combined with her lack of progress in locating this Ryouga - to think she had ever considered recruiting him! - had ensured Mystique had not had a very pleasant week.

"Hey, Mystique," Pietro said as he saw the woman enter. "Got the message. Ranma's awake."

Mystique's momentum didn't even slow as she spun on one foot and raced back out the door, shifting into a bird the moment she was outside. Without delay, she flew as fast as she could to the X-Mansion. 

Pietro blinked. "Damn," he said finally, "And I thought I moved fast..."

Glancing around the room to make sure he was alone, Pietro pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number by memory, one he dared not put into the contact list. "Hey," he said as it was answered, "Yeah, he's awake." He was silent for a few moments, listening to the person on the other end. "Right, gotcha." He said, closing the phone after another second. Turning around, he found himself face-to-face with Nabiki.

The brown-haired girl smiled at him, "Who was on the phone, Maximoff?" She asked sweetly.

Pietro gulped, his eyes shifting from side-to-side nervously. Oh, man, his old man was gonna be pissed!

* * *

"You failed, Hibiki..."

Ryouga glared at the shadowed form of Magnus. "You never told me Ranma was a mutant, or that touching him would make me lose my powers!" He accused angrily. He clenched his fists tightly, but didn't dare attack the older mutant.

"You could have defeated him easily, Hibiki..." Magnus's echoing voice responded calmly, "But you abused your powers... You allowed them to sustain you without rest or nourishment, and thus you were easily taken down by Saotome... You grew arrogant..."

His face twisted in a mask of rage, Ryouga glared at the man. "I would never have done that if you had told me of Ranma's powers," he repeated angrily. He continued glaring at Magnus as he raised his hand. Feeling his body rise upwards, Magnus manipulating the magnetic fields around him to raise him in the air by the iron weights sewn into his clothing. Not wanting to give the man the satisfaction, Ryouga remained defiant.

"Do not take that tone with me, Hibiki..." Magnus said coldly, "You have great power residing within you, yet you do not use it wisely... I intend to change that..."

Ryouga snorted. "And what if I don't want any more of your so-called help, old man?" He retorted, "I toldja before, I don't care about your little beef with humanity, and I don't want to join your side!"

Magnus let out an ominous chuckle. "You speak as if I offered you a choice, Hibiki..."

* * *

Alone in the backyard, dressed in a pair of black shorts and a black muscle shirt, Ranma sat with his eyes closed in full lotus position. A faint blue glow surrounded him, slowly drawing inward.

One would think, after several days of complete inactivity, Ranma would be up and moving around. And he had, earlier. He'd gone through several dozen kata to get the blood properly flowing in his body again. He had been pleased to find he hadn't lost any of his edge during his short coma, as well as the fact that his body had indeed completely recovered from the fight. That confused Ranma a little, as he thought with the wounds he'd received, that he would still have some lingering injuries But he simply assumed it was the doc's amazing healing skills and promptly discarded the line of thought.

Right now, though, Ranma was meditating on what he'd thought of earlier. Like his ki, he assumed the nullification field was another energy inside his body. And, if it was, like his ki he should be able to manipulate it. His thoughts weer focused inward as he searched for the source of this energy, his inner eye scouring the pathways with which his ki flowed throughout his body relentlessly. He hadn't found anything yet, but he sure as hell wasn't going to give up, especia-

Wait, what was that?

Forcing his inner eye to focus, he sensed a new energy he had never felt before. A small trickle, along the edge of his ki. Reaching out, he touched it and felt... nothing. There was something there, but it didn't have any kind of feel to it. It literally felt like a complete absence of anything, yet it was obviously there. It had to be the nullification field; what else would feel the absence of energy than an energy that caused an absence? Reaching out again, he directed a small line of ki around it...

"RANMA!"

He was yanked out of his meditation by a sudden voice and a flying object striking him. Blinking, he looked down to see Rogue glomped around his waist, squeezing him tightly as if he was going to disappear if she let go. A quick glance up showed the rest of the team, as well as all of the adults, standing a bit further back, letting the girl apparently have first crack at him.

"Uh..." he said dumbly, the feeling of having a very cute and very curvy girl on top of him robbing him of intelligent thought, "Hey."

"'Uh... hey'?" Rogue repeated, shooting him a look, "You worry alla us fer most of tha week, an' when ya finally wake up, all ya have ta say is 'Uh... hey'?" She elbowed him in the stomach. "Jerk."

Ranma chuckled nervously. "Uh...hey, it's good ta see ya again? Glad I ain't comatose no more?" he attempted.

"That's a bit bettah," She smiled, pulling away from him and standing, reaching a hand down to pull him up to his feet. "Sorry 'bout knockin' ya over," She apologized with a small blush, "Ah was jus' excited ta see yah awake again."

Ranma grinned, "Yeah, imagine my surprise when I found out pig boy managed ta lay me out fer so long," He frowned, adding, "That's why I was out here. Been tryin' ta find a way to take him down when he comes back without workin' myself inta a coma."

"Yeah," Rogue said, poking him in the chest, "Don't go an' do that again." Grabbing him again, she pulled him into another tight hug.

"RANMA!"

Both Ranma and Rogue looked up just in time to see Mystique grab onto Ranma tightly, planting dozens of kisses on his face. "Oh my sweet baby!" She declared between kisses, her voice ecstatic.

"Mo-o-o-om..." Ranma groaned, his cheeks flushing, "Yer embarassin' me in front of the X-men..."

Rogue shot Mystique a glare, tightening her hold on the pigtailed boy. Mystique frowned at the other woman, doing the same.

A flash and a puff of smoke signaled Kurt's arrival. "Mein freund!" he declared happily, joining into the hug, "Ve vere so worried about you!"

Ranma suddenly felt a horrible feeling of deja-vu as the other slowly approached, one-by one joining into the hugging mass. "Hey, wait a second..." he said nervously, "I know yer all excited and everythin' but can we, y'know, not do this all at once?"

"Too late," Kitty said, grinning wickedly as she phased through the others to reach the center, planting a chaste kiss on Ranma's cheek. "We have you now. There is no escape."

Ranma's eyes grew fearful, looking over the mass of people towards Logan, who was standing a ways away, an evil grin on his face. "Logan!" He called out helplessly, "Yer my buddy, right Logan? You'll get me out of this, right? Right?!"

Logan's grin grew wider.

Ranma's face twisted into a mask of abject fear. "I mean it Logan!" He cried out desperately, "I'll giva ya anythin'! Money, women, MY FIRST-BORN CHILD! JUST GET ME OUTTA THIS!"

Logan's grin nearly split his face in two as he raised a cupped hand to his mouth, "PAYBACKS A BITCH, AIN'T IT PIGTAIL?" He called out. Logan fell over laughing at the look the pigtailed boy shot him.

"TRAITOR!"

* * *

End Chapter Eight

* * *

Hehehehehehe... that last part made me giggle the entire time I was writing it.

First off; Xavier isn't wrong about Ranma's powers, but he ain't right either. In other words, major freakin' clue. I suspect (read: hope) some of you out there will be able to figure out something based off of that. I will confirm any correct guesses, and any who receive said confirmation, I ask that you please keep it to yourself. Don't wanna spoil the surprise for those who don't figure it out. ;)

Melinda's last name is Frost. Anyone who can see where that may be going, you get a cookie. She will not be developing powers, however, so don't get your hopes up. By the way, the little confrontation between her and Rogue? Yeah, I was giggling madly when I wrote that too.

The Brotherhood watching CSI. It's a running gag that amuses me greatly, despite the fact that I have never watched an episode of the show or any of it's spawn. At the Brotherhood house, no matter what time of day it is, CSI is showing on some channel.

This chapter foreshadowed the events in 'Shadowed Past', which the next chapter will more fully go into.

That's all I got now; I'm tired.


	9. Chapter 9

**Evolution 1/2**

* * *

Disclaimer: I have a headache, so no funny disclaimer. Wait! I disclaim any ownership of this headache! Whoever is the true owner, please let me know so I can give it back to you poste-haste. Oh yeah, I also disclaim any ownership of Ranma 1/2 or X-Men: Evolution.

* * *

Chapter Nine

* * *

A freshly-laid blanket of white snow covered the ground, illuminated into a pale blue by the full moon that hung large and heavy overhead. Standing proud and tall throughout the area were hundreds of wraith-like trees. An ominous air haunted the area, punctuated the by the random eerie howls echoing throughout the wood as the wolves searched for elusive game. 

A harsh breeze flowed between the bare branched of the trees, swirling specks of snow along with it as it whipped through the night air towards the looming castle that stood tall and bleak on the edge of the wood. A flash of neon green burst from the high window of one of the towers crackles of energy arcing outwards. The bitter wind moaned as it whipped around the tower.

"MONSTER! What have you done to him!?"

A pair of shadows faced off in side the tower among the bubbling beakers and cluttered machinery. The savage crackling of the green energy as it broke out seemingly at random the only source of light. One of the shadows fled, not even waiting for an answer from the other.

The shadow's footsteps echoed throughout the ground floor of the dark castle. Stepping into the pale moonlight that managed to shine through, the shadow resolved itself into a cloaked figure carrying something close to it's chest. The garments were too think and heavy to determine the sex of the wearer, but the high-pitched cries identified the bundle held to it's chest. Stopping for a moment, the figure glanced back for a split-second before running even faster along the dark purple path that ran along the length of the room. The child's cries echoed throughout the empty rooms of the castle.

"COME BACK AT ONCE!" An echoing and almost metallic voice demanded as the cloaked figure burst through the pair of heavy wooden doors at the end of the path. The second shadow floated in the air slowly behind the cloaked figure, it's long cape billowing slightly against the breeze.

The cloaked figure did not heed the demand is it continued it's escape through the snow and into the forest. Feminine gasps and groans revealed the figures gender as she slipped on a patch of snow, quickly righting herself again and not ceasing her forward motion.

Several wolves growled hungrily as the figure passed. They had found their game for the night. Following behind at a slow gait to savour the feeling of the chase. They ran faster as the woman increased her speed, realizing she was now being pursued by more than just caped shadow.

The cloaked woman hesitated for a split second as she came to a rickety wooden bridge that crossed over a deep canyon. The water that flowed down the edge of the cliff faces created a reverberating echo as it hit the river far below. A minor hesitation, but ti was long enough for the pack of wolves to surround her, cutting off her flight.

The caped figure stopped in midair before the woman as she struggled to keep her child away from the wolves. His eyes glowed an eerie white as he watched dispassionately, the full moon behind him high-lighting his red helmet and armour, his royal purple cape fluttering slightly against the air.

The wolves closed in on the woman, and she held the child above her head to protect it, disregarding the danger to herself. She struggled to get past the beasts, crying out as one suddenly leaped up, snagging the sleeve of her cloak with it's teeth and pulling her arms down. The bundled child wailed as it fell from her hands and into the canyon below.

"NOOOOOO!!!" The woman's voice held agony as she made a futile gesture towards the falling infant with her hand.

The child fell far, landing in the rolling waters of the river below.

Rogue awoke with a scream, breathing heavily as she clutched her head in her hands. Sweat poured from her pale forehead and soaked her green-and-orange pajamas.

The scream startled her roommate awake, almost causing her to phase through her bed in surprise. Looking over, Kitty saw Rogue sitting up in her bed, breathing heavily with a look of fear on her face, only visible due to the light of the full moon that shone through their window.. Racing to her side, Kitty put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong when they both jumped at the sound of a loud crash.

Ranma stood there, in female form, with her foot raised in the air, Scott and Jean behind her. A quick glance to the floor revealed the source of the crash; Ranma had kicked their door down.

Lowering her foot and leaping into the room, Ranma looked around for whatever attackers had caused the girl to scream, waking up her and the rest of the mansion. Seeing no threats present, she turned to the girls, chuckling nervously when Kitty gave him a look, gesturing towards their ruined door.

"Rogue?" Scott asked worried as he entered the room, ignoring the fact that Ranma had kicked down the door. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"Ah- Ah don't know," Rogue stuttered, shaking her head in her hands, "Ah-Ah was d-dreamin'; some kinda horrible nightmare!" She paused in an attempt to catch her breath, "With the - with these images - jus' horrible." She grabbed Ranma's arm as she slowly approached, clutching tightly to the blue-skinned girl.

"Yeah," Kitty agreed in worried tones, turning her gaze away from Ranma, "Her shrieking totally freaked me out. I nearly phased through my bed."

"Woah," Scott said, taking it all in, "Finals must be really getting to you."

"No," Rogue denied, her eyes wide. "It's not tha first time Ah had these dreams. They started when Ah came ta tha Institute, and Ah never really noticed them until Ranma's coma." She shivered, "Ah had jus' passed them off as me bein' worried 'bout him, but they've become more 'n more vivid since then!"

"Wha-What's goin on, man?" Evan asked with a yawn as he entered the room, clad in a pair of blue long shorts and white muscle shirt. Kurt was with him, dressed in a pair of red pants and a yellow shirt, his tail dragging along the floor. "Are you guy's alright?"

"Rogue's havin' nightmares," Ranma said with a blush that turned her face purple as the girl clutched tight onto her arm.

"Woah, vhat about?" Kurt questioned, stepping forward.

"Ah'm not sure," Rogue replied, her voice muffled due to it's presence against Ranma's shoulder. "There's- there's a- a castle, an' wolves, an; oh mah god, that poor lil' baby..." She choked out the last word, "Ah-Ah didn't really see his face, but..." her eyes widened and she pulled her face away from Ranma, slowly looking over to Kurt as she realized something, "Ah seemed ta kno-to know him somehow!"

Kurt, blinked, stepping back, "Vhat?" He asked, pressing a three-fingered hand to his chest, "Vhy are you looking at me like that? What's wrong?"

"It was you!" Rogue gasped out, pointing a finger at the blue-furred boy. "Somehow...somthin' tells me- Ah jus' know - it was you Kurt!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"What are you talking about?" Kurt questioned apprehensively as everyone's eyes turned to him. She couldn't possibly mean...

"In mah dream," Rogue explained a bit more calmly, "There was a baby. He was cryin'. Someone- a woman, Ah think, Ah didn't really see her face - was runnin' and she," Rogue buried her face into Ranma's shoulder again, forcing back the tears that threatened to escape, "Tha baby, he was dropped into the river!"

"And you think that baby was me?" Kurt questioned, again pointing to himself.

"Why do Ah keep havin' this nightmare?!" Rogue asked emphatically, ignoring Kurt's question.

"Maybe the Professor can help us sort this out," Jean offered, placing a hand on Rogue's shoulder comfortingly, "But it's pretty late; why don't we put this off until the morning?"

'**That's all right, Jean,' **The Professor told them telepathically. '**Rogue and Kurt, please come to the library with Jean,**'the telepathic message continued. Then almost as an afterthought, Xavier added, '**And please bring Ranma with you. And the rest of you, get some sleep. In case you have forgotten, you all have finals tomorrow.'**

"Man," Evan said as he left the room, "There's no keeping anything from that dude, is there?"

"Huh?" Ranma asked, wondering what had just happened. "Keep what from who? What's going on now?"

Jean blinked. "Oh, right," she said, "Immunity to telepathy. The Professor asked for me, you, Rogue and Kurt to meet him in the library."

"Oh," Ranma said, "I get it; that's why everyone looked up suddenly a second ago." Apparently, telepathy sounded like a voice from above. She frowned as she followed behind the other three, "But why does he want me? Rogue 'n Kurt, I can understand, and you too I guess, but I ain't got anythin' ta offer that can help with this."

* * *

"I've always known that I was adopted," Kurt said, leaning forward on one of the couches in the library. The four teens had been greeted upon arrival by their mentor who was dressed in a brownish-green bathrobe, and despite the late hour, did not look the least bit tired. "But they never said anything about me being fished out of a river." 

"Don't worry Kurt," Xavier replied, "We'll try to sort all of this out. Rogue," he turned to the young woman, "since this was your dream, I think we should start with you. If you would please sit here?" he gestured towards a chair a few feet away from him.

"Now, Ranma," he continued, turning towards the blue-skinned girl who was leaning against one of the bookcases that lined the walls, "If you will please come here and nullify Rogue's powers?"

Ranma raised an eyebrow, but did as requested. "Why do ya need her powers nullified?" she asked, standing behind Rogue and placing her hands gently on the sides of Rogue's neck.

Xavier raised his hands and placed his fingers against Rogue's temples. "I am going to use my telepathy to delve into Rogue's mind to see this dream for myself." He answered, "And while I could do so without touching her, direct contact will allow for a more accurate reading. Now, Rogue," he said, looking the girl directly in the eyes, "Please relax, and try to concentrate on the dream."

Rogue watched him nervously, "This isn't gonna hurt, is it?" She asked, closing her eyes.

"No," Xavier answered, closing his eyes, "Now please, concentrate." With that, he reached into her mind.

Images flashed in Xavier's head.

A castle, with a strange lab.

A woman, running through a forest with a bundle clutched to her chest.

A pack of ravenous wolves.

His teeth clenched as the images poured into his mind much faster. An oddly garbed yet familiar man watching with cool detachment. A familiar blue-skinned woman, horror etched on her face as the child fell from her grip. The same woman lying on the bridge, sobbing as she asked the man why. The man turning away wordlessly and floating back to the castle.

Morning. The child floating down a river and being discovered by a couple. The blue-skinned woman watching from a distance, sadly pulling the hood of her cloak over her head and turning away.

The others watched in rapt fascination as their mentor and their teammate sat silently, eyes closed with looks of intense concentration evident on their faces.

Kurt stood excitedly when their eyes finally opened. "Well, did you see anything else?"

Xavier pulled his surprised gaze away from Rogue's own and sat back in his wheelchair, pressing a pair of fingers to his forehead. This was going to prove to be a very interesting turn of events. "Apparently, Rogue," he said finally, "Your dream... is not a dream. It is a repressed memory, not just a figment of your imagination."

Kurt stepped in closer, "But, if I'm in it," he said, "Why is she having the dream? Should it have been mine?"

Rogue nodded. "Yeah Professor," she agreed, "What's goin' on?"

Xavier frowned as he considered this. "I am not sure," he finally said, "My guess would be that you absorbed the memories of someone who has knowledge of Kurt's past." He wasn't sure how to tell them that he had a pretty good assumption on who's memories they were. He glanced up at Ranma, who had returned to her earlier place against the bookshelf. Seeing the boy-turned-girl nod back, he returned his gaze to the other students.

"She touched me!" Kurt exclaimed, "Back vhen ve first met, remember Rogue?"

Rogue suppressed a wince. She did indeed remember; Mystique had manipulated her by shapeshifting into the other X-Men and attacking her, leading her to believe they were her enemies. During that whole mis-understanding, she had touched Kurt and absorbed his teleportation powers. She'd have to do that again sometime; it'd been kinda fun.

"Maybe you got those memories from me." Kurt concluded.

"You were just an infant in the dream, Kurt," Xavier said, "Although... it is entirely possible you could have memories from that far back. Unlikely, but possible."

Kurt's enthusiasm didn't wane. "Probe my mind now, Professor!" He requested, "Maybe ve can find out even more! Maybe I've got even more memories, about vhat happened aftervords!"

"Yes..." Xavier said slowly, his mind still racing over the information he'd gleaned from the images. "But... not tonight. It's very late, and I think we've all had quite enough excitement for now."

"But professor-"

"Tomorrow Kurt," Xavier interrupted, turning his chair around and heading for the door. "After school. I promise."

Kurt sighed, but accepted the older man's decision. With a flash and a puff of smoke, he 'ported back to his bedroom.

Ranma pushed herself off the bookcase, yawning. "Well..." she said, heading for the door, "I should get back ta bed too. Gotta get up early fer yer trainin' tomorrow, Red," she told Jean with a grin, seeing the girl's face blanch slightly. "Oh, c'mon. Tai Chi ain't that hard t'learn."

Jean sighed, heading off to her own room. "The way you teach it, it is..." she muttered.

"Hey, Ranma?" Rogue asked as something occurred to her, "Why are ya female right now?"

Ranma grimaced. "Curse don't seem t'like me spendin' so much time as a guy," she answered, "s'been makin' me change at random all week, since I woke up. Usually at night." She shrugged, "Figured there had ta be a catch when I gained control; as long as it doesn't happen at school, I can deal."

"Huh," Rogue said with a yawn, "Well...night." She said, entering her room. After a moment, she poked her head back out. "Ranma? Did ya hafta break down tha door?" Looking around, she frowned when she saw the girl had vanished. "Aw, hell..." she cursed softly.

* * *

"Come in," Xavier said as he heard a knock at his door. 

Ranma entered, softly shutting the door behind her. "Ya wanted ta see me?" She asked, "And I assume not in front of tha others?"

"Yes," Xavier said, turning to face her, "I... I feel bad about this, but I did not tell the whole truth to Kurt or Rogue," he admitted, "I know whom the memories originated from. Tell me," he said after a brief pause, "has your mother mentioned anything about having another child?"

Ranma blinked, "Uh, yeah she said somethin' 'bout a half-bro-" her eyes widened. "Are you sayin' what I think yer sayin'?"

"I do not know," Xavier replied, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "But Mystique was the woman I saw in the memory, the one who was with the infant Kurt."

Ranma leaned back against the door with a thud. "This is...damn." She finally said.

Xavier chuckled. "A succinct summary indeed, " he replied, "You were planning on meeting your mother for breakfast this morning, were you not?" Seeing Ranma nod, he continued, "If you are willing, I was wondering if you could bring up the matter when you are with her. Don't mention the dreams or our suspicions, but please try and find out anything you can. This could be very important to Kurt."

"Well, I have been meanin' t'ask her 'bout it for a while now..." Ranma frowned, considering the professor's request. She wasn't sure if that would violate the terms of his agreement with mom or not. It wasn't exactly secret, confidential information that Rogue was having dreams that were actually Mystique's memories, but... "I'll do what I can, Prof," She finally said, "But I can't guarantee anythin'."

Xavier smiled. "That is all I ask, Ranma. Now," he added, "you should get to bed. You have a busy day tomorrow."

Ranma winced an headed out the door. Training with Jean and Evan in the morning, then breakfast with her mother, then school -where she had THREE finals. Then more training with her new "Null Blast" technique - which she knew she was close to mastering, she could feel it - followed by whatever the heck else might pop up. Sighing, Ranma headed to her room to try and get at least an hour of sleep before she was forced to get up again.

* * *

The Brotherhood were thrilled when Mystique had told them training was canceled for the day, so thrilled they had not bothered to ask why. While they knew that it was helping them, they still didn't like having to wake up and be forced to move around so early. They were taking their free-time this morning to actually eat breakfast at the house when Nabiki came down the stairs. 

"Well, how do I look?" she asked, striking a pose.

The jaws of the Brotherhood boys collectively dropped, along with the spoon Freddy was using to eat his cereal out of a large mixing bowl. Todd struggled to form words, but nothing intelligent came out - although, if anything intelligent HAD come out, it would have shocked the others even more than Nabiki's current attire.

The brown-haired girl was dressed in a very skin-tight, very revealing uniform. A pair of back leather boots with buckles up the sides ran up her legs, stopping at mid-cal where her legs continued up, covered in tight black leggings. Further up, she wore a tight black leather mini-skirt. Above it was her bare midriff, followed by a tight blue halter-top, showing off some very impressive cleavage. Her arms were covered with a pair of long blue gloves that reached her biceps, the backs of which were lined with metal plates. The outfit was topped off by a black choker around her neck, bearing one of the many symbols used to denote wireless networks.

Pietro was the first to react, shaking his head rapidly to clear up his surprise. "Guh..." he said intelligently, "Nice get-up, Nabs. What's the occasion?"

Nabiki smirked. "It's my costume," she answered proudly, "I figured, you guys all have one, I should too. I've been working on it all week."

"Huh," Lance said, turning his attention back to his breakfast, "Not bad, I guess."

Nabiki sighed. Looked like that was the best reaction she was gonna get. No matter. "Anyway," she said, taking her usual seat at the table and setting down the three manila folders that had been unnoticed by the others until that very moment, "here are the copies of the answer keys and the tests for the finals today." She handed one to Pietro, Todd, and Lance. "Pietro has the various sciences, Lance has the math and English, Todd has the History and foreign languages. Anyone asks for something you don't have, direct them to where whoever who has it is."

"Where's mine?" Freddy asked as he shoveled his corn flakes into his mouth.

"Remember, Freddy?" Nabiki asked sweetly, "You attract too much attention for the more clandestine aspects of this work. All you have to do is stick to your usual shakedowns." Turning back to the other three boys, she continued speaking. "Remember, tests are forty dollars, answer keys are fifty." She looked at Pietro specifically, adding, "I've heard rumours that Varnsen's Physics final exam is supposed to be hell, so up the price of both the test and answer key for that one by ten dollars."

The boys nodded, looking through the folders. "What was the take for yesterday?" Lance asked, eying the freshly-printed sheets to the English final he was to take that day.

"Don't worry about it," Nabiki said dismissively. "You get your cuts at the end of the week, worry about it then." She grabbed a muffin off the tray. "Where's Mystique?" she asked, taking a quick glance around. "I notice none of you are sporting any new bruises."

"Boss-lady told us we got the day off, sweetums," Todd told her, flashing his repulsive smile, "Said she had somethin' to take care of this mornin'."

"Speaking of," Lance said, looking up from where he was putting his folder into his bag, "Why don't you ever have to join in on the training sessions?"

Nabiki smirked. "It's in my contract," she replied simply, popping her muffin into her mouth and walking off.

The other boys exchanged looks. "We have got to get contracts of our own," Pietro finally said, the other three boys nodding in agreement.

* * *

The diner Mystique had selected was a nice, humble, and remarkably indistinct restaurant. Booths lined the walls, and round-top tables were scattered in the empty space in between. There was a counter across from the front door that ran most of the length of the building, with numerous stools set up in front of it. Behind it was the kitchen, where every so often cursing could be heard from the cooks. Waitresses in blue and white dresses circulated among the patrons, taking orders and delivering food. 

Essentially, a typical, run-of-the-mill diner. Ranma was almost overwhelmed by the mediocrity of it.

The pair sat across from each other in a booth right next to the front door. Ranma was back in his male form, and his mother was wearing her Principal Darkholme persona, with the usual dark-gray woman's business suit. So far, they had talked about rather mundane things - school, hobbies, martial arts, etc. The conversation thus far had fit the mundane atmosphere of the diner itself.

Then his mother had turned the conversation towards a different topic, one he had been dreading for some time now. His fiancées.

"Mom," He said in an exasperated tone, "I toldja before, I ain't gonna marry any of them."

"I know you're not," Mystique replied as she calmly took a bite of her eggs, "I'm just letting you know that I don't approve of any of those... girls." She left unsaid that the main reason behind her disapproval was due to the lack of an x-gene in any of them.

Ranma sighed. They had been going back and forth like this for some time now, and endless cycle into a pit of despair the pigtailed boy could not find any way - hey, what was that? A shiny new change of topic! Ranma seized hold of it

"So, mom," Ranma asked casually as he cut a triangle out of his stack of pancakes. There was one thing about this mundane diner that was not mundane, and that was the food; Ranma was almost convinced they had Kasumi in the kitchen. "You said somethin' before 'bout me havin' a brother?"

Mystique froze. She had known he would ask about that sooner or later. She had been hoping it would be later. "Yes," She answered hesitantly, "I did say that. W-why do you ask?"

"I was just curious 'bout him," Ranma replied, internally wincing. He could see the pain on her face the mere mention had brought up.

"You understand this is a very hard thing for me to talk about," Mystique said after spending a few minutes collecting herself. "I was... forced to give him away shortly after he was born. For his own safety." She shook her head as she saw the question form on her son's lips. "I cannot tell you why, as it involves matters we have agreed not to discuss."

Frowning slightly, Ranma nodded in understanding. "You don't havta talk 'bout him if ya don't want to, mom..."

Mystique sighed and shook her head. "No," she said, "I need to tell you about this; if your curiosity is anything like Genma's, you won't be satisfied until you have an answer. He's younger than you, by about a year and a half." She paused, "There isn't much I can really tell you, to be honest. I never even got the chance to name him officially."

Ranma nodded. "It's alright," he said, polishing off the last of his breakfast.

Noticing the time on the clock above the counter, Mystique finished the last of her meal and flagged the waitress down. "Anything else will have to wait for another time," she said after they had received the check. "We both need to be getting to school now." She shot him a look, "You have finals today. Have you been studying?"

Ranma chuckled nervously. "Yeah, funny thing about that..."

"Ranma," His mother said in a firm voice, "I expect to see good grades on your report card." She smirked, "And I will see it, before you do in fact, so there is no way you can hide it from me."

Ranma sighed. While he'd enjoyed a fair amount of nepotism in his position as the principal's son, - he never needed a hall pass and could skip directly to the front of the lunch line - he doubted his mother would use her influence to make sure he passed his classes. She was even more insistent than Professor Xavier that he receive an education. "Yes mom..."

* * *

"GET OUT! GET OUT NOW!" 

Xavier calmly turned his wheelchair towards the door, seemingly unaffected by Mystique's outburst. "In case you were wondering, Raven," he said on his way out, "He turned out to be a very fine young man."

Mystique slowly made her way over to her desk, her normally stern face carrying an expression of pain. This explained why Ranma had asked her about her other child this morning. Xavier had come here, telling her about the dreams Rogue had been having, which were actually some of the more painful memories from Mystique's past. She had put up a calm front, assuming Xavier was merely fishing, trying to bait her into revealing something.

She had managed to play it cool until the very end, when he had asked if whatever had happened in that castle - apparently, her memories didn't extend into the details of that, something she was eternally grateful for. Upon hearing that question, however, she had felt an intense anger erupt within her, and she had demanded he leave.

Slumping down into her chair, Mystique's mind turned to the overal familiarity of the whole situation. It was very similar to when Charles cad come to see her several weeks previous, in regards to Ranma. Only this time it was in regards to her other son.

Her suspicions from before had been confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt. His appearance and age matched up perfectly with her son's, and Rogue's dream - Mystique's own memory - was the ultimate confirmation.

The question now, however, was what was she going to do about it? She knew Kurt didn't like her, and he had no reason to like her; hell, if she had to admit she found it hard to like him much, despite now knowing he was her son.

Sighing as she leaned back in her chair, Mystique rubbed the bridge of her nose while she pondered how to proceed from here.

* * *

Xavier deftly maneuvered his wheelchair through the hallways of Bayville High, mentally tracking his students so that he did not accidentally run into one of them. While he did not like keeping secrets from them, he wasn't prepared to explain why he was at their school in the first place. It wasn't that he liked keeping secrets from them, it was simply there were things they were not et prepared to handle. In this case, however, it was more because this was something that really only involved Kurt, and to a lesser extent, Ranma. He would prefer it if Mystique contacted the boy herself - although, after seeing the results of her first meeting with Ranma, perhaps she might go about introducing the relationship a different way. 

His meeting with the shapeshifter had gone exactly as he had imagined it would; she had refused to confirm anything verbally, and had guarded her thoughts well. Not well enough, however, and Charles had been able to confirm his suspicions. She was indeed Kurt's mother.

Oddly enough, he could sense that his words had confirmed suspicions of her own. Apparently, she had been wondering if the blue-furred mutant was the son she had been forced to give up for some time now.

As Xavier left the school building, he reached out with his mind. '**Logan, I have the coordinates.'**

That was the other matter Xavier was concerned about. Magneto had done something to the boy, and it was something that might become a danger to Kurt later. Fortunately, he had also managed to gleam the general location of the castle from Rogue's dream during his brief conversation with Mystique.

* * *

Hearing Charles' telepathic message, Logan finished the pre-launch preparations for the Blackbird. "Fire away, Chuck," he said aloud, thinking the message back to Xavier. 

Recieveing the coordinates, Logan finished the start-up seuence and pulled the mask of his costume over his face. Taking hold of the controls, he eased the Blackbird forward. Within moments, the state-of-the-art black jet was out of the hangar and soaring through the sky.

* * *

Ryouga was really beginning to hate this guy. 

Not as much as he hated Ranma; no one could inspire that much loathing in the pig-cursed boy. But Magnus was rapidly reaching near-Ranma status on the scale of hatred.

Over a week he had been here now, most of it chained to the wall. Not uncomfortably so; the chain had quite a fair amount of slack to it, enough for Ryouga to get to the bathroom when he needed to use it. He would have simply broken the chains, but Magnus had done something to them to make them unbreakable, even when Ryouga put every ounce of his ki into his strength. Probably some special form of magnetism or something; Ryouga didn't really care. All he knew was that he was stuck here until he could find some way to escape, or even better, get lost. Unfortunately, the bathroom was as far as the chain extended, which was not nearly far enough for his directional curse to kick in.

Every so often Magnus would pull himself away from whatever super-important plans he was working on to speak with Ryouga, to the Lost Boy's chagrin. The man kept going on and on about the stupidest of things, which Ryouga had managed to distill down to two simple lines of thought:

Humans bad, mutants good.

Ryouga snorted. He honestly didn't care about any of it. So what if he was a mutant, supposedly further along the evolutionary path than the rest of humanity. Big deal. All it meant was that Ryouga had an advantage not many people had. And advantage he had hoped to turn against his hated rival.

Except now he knew Ranma had a similar advantage, and it was just the Lost Boy's luck that it was capable of completely negating his own.

But it should be simple enough to overcome, with some strategy. Unfortunately strategy had never been one of Ryouga's strong points; his preferred method involved hitting hard and outlasting his opponent. Augmenting his abilities with his massive reserves of ki was a great aid in this 'strategy', but once again, Ranma had the advantage over him. And so far, the only way he could devise to counter it was to not let Ranma touch him. Which meant falling back on his usual methods, taking his opponent out hard and fast.

And he would do that. Just as soon as he figured a way out of this damnable castle.

* * *

The bell rang, and Kurt was immediately out of his seat. Walking to the front of the classroom, he handed his completed Social Sciences final and headed out the door. He wasn't sure how well he had done on it, and to be honest, his mind had been on matter others than his final grade in the class; he was doing well enough anyway. 

Walking through the hallway, surrounded by other students complaining about the difficulty of the various exams they'd had to take throughout the day, Kurt couldn't help but grin. The professor had promised that after school they would continue what they had started the night before. As wonderful as his foster family had been, he was eager to learn more about his past, and hopefully, his birth-parents.

"Hey, Kurt!" He heard Rogue's voice behind him as he made his way to his locker, and stopped to let her catch up. "Wait up. What's tha rush?"

Kurt grinned as the continued walking. "Don't you remember?" He asked, "The professor promised we would look for more answer after school."

"Right..." Rogue said, stopping as the boy reached his locker. "Are yah sure yah really wanna know?"

Opening his locker, Kurt turned to look at the girl. "Vhat? Of course!" He exclaimed, reaching into retrieve a book, "Vouldn't you? I mean, haven't you ever vondered about your real parents?"

"Ah guess so, yeah, sometimes," Rogue replied, turning away slightly. "But Irene was always a good mom to me. Ah mean, sometimes she could be real strict 'n all, but..." she trailed off.

Kurt nodded in understanding, agreeing with what she had left unsaid. "My adoptive parents were great to," he said, slipping his backpack over his shoulder, "But I always felt that they vere... keeping something from me."

"Whenever the subject of where I came from came up," He continued as the pair started walking, "They vere always vague. They never said anything like the stuff from your dream."

"Maybe they didn't know," Rogue suggested, crossing her arms, "Or... or maybe they were just tryin' ta protect you." She stopped as she said this, turning to look at the boy.

Kurt frowned, "How? He asked, a slight tone of anger entering his voice, "By hiding my past from me?"

"Kurt-"

"Listen," He cut her off, "Maybe you can live vithout knowing, but I have to know the truth!" Without even caring to make sure no one was watching, Kurt deactived his image inducer, returning to his normal fuzzy blue form. "I'm out of here," he said, quickly teleporting away.

Rogue hastily looked around, releasing a sigh of relief when she saw the only people present were Scott and Jean, who were approaching her, and another student who's view was obstructed by his open locker.

"Man, what was that all about?" Scott asked. He had managed to catch the end of the conversation, as well as Kurt's public teleportation - a major breech of the secrecy the mutant students tried to hold on to.

Rogue sighed, "He's still a lil' worked up about last night." She answered.

Scott sighed and started walking. "Well, we better go find him," he said.

Rogue turned the other way. "Ah'll meet y'all at tha car, Ah'm just gonna... go grab Ranma." From a blond bimbo, she added mentally. Melinda had P.E. with Ranma at the end of the day, and had been using this fact all week both as a way of trying to get closer to him, and as a way to annoy her rival for said boy.

Once all thee had left, the student who had been in his locker earlier looked up. He was a Hispanic boy of average height, with short black hair streaked with a bright orang in the front and in two narrow stripes along the sides. Seeing that the hall was now empty, he shut his locker and walked over to the wall; anyone who might come into the hall would not see him now, the row of lockers concealing him.

Sighing, he leaned against them a ripple passing along his body as his form shifted into Principal Darkholme. She had overheard the entire conversation between Kurt and Rogue. The former wanted to know more, wanted to know who his birth parents were. Sighing again, she pushed away from the lockers and made a decision.

She knew he wouldn't be happy when he found out it was her.

* * *

"Pleeeease?" Melinda begged, holding tightly onto Ranma's arm and purposefully pressing her breasts against it. "I want to see where you live! Why can't I come back to the Institute with you?" 

Ranma chuckled nervously. He had barely changed and made it out of the locker room when the blond girl had latched onto him, pressing some very interesting parts of her body against him. Naturally, this robbed him of all intelligent thought. "I would, Mel, but - um - there are rules about, uh, guests at tha mansion." He answered lamely.

Melinda pouted. "Well, why don't you come back to my place?" She asked hopefully, "My parents would love to meet you, and you still have to see the other Rampage movies!"

"I would, but... um..."

"But Ranma has some pressin' business he needs ta take care of," Another voice entered the conversation. The pair looked up to see Rogue leaning against the wall. "Plus he has ta study fer finals." She added.

Ranma lifted his eyes to the heavens to thank whatever kami had decided fit to grant him mercy, and thus missed the cold glares the two girls exchanged.

"I'm sure Ranma can take care of them later," Melinda told Rogue in a deceptively sweet tone. "He promised he would hang out with me tonight. And he could just as easily study with me."

Rogue narrowed her eyes slightly. That was a blatant lie, and she knew it. "Unfortunately, Melinda," she said the girl's name as if it were a large slimy toad that had slipped into her shirt, "This ain't somethin' Ranma can put off. Ah'm afraid you'll both jus' havta reschedule."

"Yeah," Ranma emphatically agreed, pulling his arm out of Melinda's grasp while wondering when he had ever promised the blond girl any such thing. "Sorry 'bout that Mel, but Rogue is right. I got stuff I need ta do." He dashed off down the hall. "I gotta run ta my locker, I'll meetcha at Scott's car."

Rogue turned back to the girl with a triumphant smirk. "Nice try, blondie."

Melinda glared at her. "You're only delaying the inevitable, skunk-hair," She retorted, turning away and flipping her long braid over her shoulder, "It's only a matter of time before he sees I'm a much better choice."

"Is it possible ta get tickets ta tha fantasy world yer livin' in?" Rogue replied, turning away and heading towards the exit, "'cause that's tha only place Ranma is ever gonna be with ya." She smirked at the girl's angry 'hmmph' as she walked off.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Pietro asked as Mystique handed him a sealed yellow envelope, taking a second to glance down at it. "I mean, I've seen the defenses they got around that place." 

"Don't worry," Mystique replied, "You're fast enough. You should be able to get in and out of there, undetected."

"Why is this so important?" Pietro asked, raising an eyebrow, "I mean, what are you telling that blue-furred freak?"

"Never mind!" Mystique answered in an icy tone, narrowing her eyes, "That is no business of yours! Just deliver it!"

Pietro shivered and sped off without another word.

Mystique frowned as she watched the silver-haired boy disappear in a blur of motion. She had originally planned to ask Ranma to deliver the message, but he had already left before she could find him. Turning to Pietro had been a last resort, but the boy would be able to get into the mansion and deliver the message without being seen. She held little doubt that he would escape Xavier's detection, however, but the bald telepath wouldn;t be able to act fast enough anyway.

Shifting into a bird, Mystique flew off in the direction of her house. She had to get ready; hopefully Kurt would follow the instructions in the message. She held little hope that he would like what she had to tell him when they met, but she had to tell him, if only to try and give him some kind of answer.

* * *

"Looks like this is the place," Logan's voice said over the comlink. "I'll set 'er down in the woods nearby and go in on foot." 

"Good," Cavier said with a nod, although new knew Logan wouldn't see the gesture. The professor was siting in front of a large electronic map, currently centered on northern Germany. A blinking red dot indicated the current position of the Blackbird. "Keep me informed."

"Right," Logan's voice repsoned, "Logan out."

Xavier sat back in his chair, waiting for any other news from Logan. A moment later his eyes shifted to the side, and eyebrow rising as he his telepathy registered a new presence on the mansion grounds . Focusing his mind for a brief second, he easily determined it was Quicksilver. He frowned slightly, wondering what the young speedster might be doing here.

* * *

Pietro's speed easily allowed him to leap over the mansion gate without slowing down. Rushing through the large courtyard, he was relieved to find Mystique was right - he WAS fast enough to avoid the automated sensors and defenses. Filing that information away for later, he ran through the doors of the Institute, right past Kitty and up the stairs, concentrating on his task - both the one Mystique had given him, and the other one. 

Kitty frowned as a gust of wind caused her to lose her place in her book. "Hey, who opened a window?" She commented to herself.

* * *

In his room, Kurt hung from the chandelier by his tail, staring at a picture of himself with his adoptive parents, taken when he was a child. Seeing the joy on the faces of his child-self and his adoptive parents as they posed for the photo, he pondered over Rogue's words earlier. They had been a great family, somehow able to easily look past his appearance and accept him as the child they were unable to have themselves. 

Why had his birth parents given him up? Were they ashamed that they had given birth to a mutant? Were they even still alive? He didn't know the answers to any of these questions, and as he continued to think about it, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Ignorance was bliss, after all; he had been raised by a loving family, and he knew for certain he never wanted to give them up.

Looking away from the photo as he heard a knock at the door, Kurt dropped down from his upside-down perch teleporting before he hit the ground.

* * *

Sticking his foot out, Ranma was surprised to feel something impact it, and even more surprised to see Pietro suddenly appear from no where, crashing into the wall. "Yo, Silver?" He asked in confusion. The Brotherhood wasn't allowed inside the mansion. "Whatcha doin' here?" 

Pietro shook off his daze and faded into a blur as he raced away, leaving Ranma's question unanswered.

"Weird..." Ranma commented to himself. Shrugging, he continued to his room. The guy wasn't hurting anybody, far as he could tell, but he should probably tell the others about this.

* * *

Arriving outside his door, he was momentarily surprised to see no one present. Looking around, he saw no one in the area. Confused, he teleported back into his room. 

On the floor next to his door, he saw a bright yellow envelope which had definitely not been there before. Suspicious, he picked it up and opened it anyway, finding a blue note inside, a message on it written in cursive.

"If you want to know the truth behind the dreams," he read aloud softly, "come to the new mall construction site at sundown. Come alone."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. Oh yeah, this was very suspicious. Very few people even knew about the dreams Rogue had the night before, and all of them were easily capable of coming directly to him if they knew anything. Obviously, though, someone else knew; whether what they knew was the truth, or this was an attempt at an ambush however, Kurt did not know.

Walking over to his desk, Kurt put the envelope and the message in the top-right drawer. Should he go? The method of delivery, the note itself, and the lack of any signature on it were all highly suspicious, and led to the theory that this might be some kind of trap. However, if whomever had delivered it indeed knew anything...

Glancing out the window, Kurt saw the sun slowly setting on the horizon. "Why not!" he declared, making a decision. Despite the highly suspicious nature of the note, and the excellent possibility of an ambush, the chance to learn more about his past was too good to pass up. Vanishing in a flash and a puff of smoke, Kurt teleported away.

Not even a second afterwards, there was another knock on his door. "Yo, Kurt," Scott said as he opened the door. "Professor X says he may have some info..." he trailed off as he saw the room was empty. Weird, he could have sworn he heard Kurt inside just a moment before.

"Kurt?" He called out into the room, thinking that the boy was maybe doing his usual 'hide-then-port-in-front-of-their-faces' prank. When no fuzzy blue figures appeared in front of him, he frowned.

* * *

"That's what the note said, I'm tellin' ya," Pietro's voice said over the communications system. "She's gonna meet that little blue creep tonight. And that Wolverine guy and the Blackbird were gone, just as you said." 

"Hmmm" The shadowed figure responded as he stared at the monitor in front of him, "Just as I feared. Good work Pietro," he told the boy on the other end as the monitor revealed a sleek black jet slowly descending into the forest. "Now I need you to do something more for me. Get the others and intercept Nightcrawler BEFORE he gets to Mystique. She must not tell him what he wants to know. "

The figure's eyes narrowed as the image closed in on the jet, showing Wolverine in the cockpit. "I have to take care of a visitor."

The figure turned off the link without any further words, turning away. He had not expected something like this to occur, but he had prepared for it. Lifting his hands, he manipulated the magnetic fields in the lab. A burst of sparks and all of the equipment shorted out. With a wave of his hand, the remaining equipment smashed against the walls, and years of genetic research was destroyed with no traces. It did not matter; all of his research was backed up in other locations.

Placing an object on the wall, the figure pressed several buttons before turning away from the now-destroyed room. Rising a few feet into the air and floating down the halls, he considered his options. He had no intention of taking care of Wolverine by himself, especially when he could send others to do his work for him. Hibiki had proven resistant to his ideal, and he couldn't be bothered to take the boy with him.

He would, however, prove a useful distraction while he escaped. And in case the boy proved inept at that as well... he had no doubt the bomb he had activated before leaving the lab would kill Wolverine or the boy, but on the off chance that anything remained in the lab, it would certainly take care of that.

* * *

Pulling himself up from the side of the cliff and onto the courtyard of the castle with a grunt, Wolverine wondered if maybe coming in closer might have been a better idea. The climb hadn't been difficult in the least, but it had taken time, and he had no doubt that if anyone was here, they were well aware of his presence. 

Sniffing the air, he growled as he recognized both scents and raced towards the open doors of the castle, ducking behind a column once inside. A quick glance to see that no one was there, Wolverine left his cover and raced up the stairs.

He was stopped in his path when he was suddenly caught in a field of electricity. Howling in pain as the energy crackled around him, he pushed it aside and extended his claws, forcing his way to the generator and slashing through it. The trap erupted in a shower of sparks as the field vanished. Groaning as he held his side, feeling his healing factor already repairing the damage, Wolverine continued forward a little more cautiously.

His enhanced hearing picked up the soft hum of electricity, and he dodged a red laser blast. Sparing a glance upward and seeing a pair of turrets further ahead, he had no time to continue thinking as they fired repeatedly. Dodging around the beams, he leaped into the air, bounding off of a column and flipping, destroying one of the turrets with a slash of his claws, quickly grabbing it and throwing it into the other one, causing both to explode in a shower of smoke and sparks.

Landing on his feet, Wolverine growled as he ducked behind a column, his claws still extended. Traps in places like this usually came in threes, and so far he'd encountered the energy trap and the shooting trap. Which meant either the large-rolling-thing-trap or the lackey-left-behind-to-fight-trap was coming up next. Add in the use of a dark and dreary castle as a lair, and Magneto was becoming far too predictable.

Looking around the corner wher ehe had seen a pair of large wooden doors earlier, he snarled when he saw the Ryouga boy that had escaped from the mansion exiting through them. Looks like the lackey trap after all. Growling, he leaped out from his hiding place and landed in a crouch in front of the kid, claws at the ready.

"Alright, bub," Wolverine snarled as he stared up at the boy, "Where's Magneto?"

"Who?" Ryouga asked, wondering who this strangely-garbed man was, "You mean Magnus? He left."

"And I suppose he left you behind to take care of me?" Wolverine growled, bringing one of his fists up into the ready position, claws gleaming in the moonlight. He was itching for a fight after taking down those laser turrets.

"Said something like that," Ryouga replied, "Don't really feel like it though. Got no reason to fight you, and him keeping me here has really delayed my vengeance." He clenched his fist angrily, his ki igniting around him as he walked past Wolverine. "Besides, not doing what he says will piss him off, and that thought makes me oddly happy."

Wolerine blinked, the berserker frenzy he'd managed to get himself into fading as the boy didn't leap into the attack. "Yer just gonna leave?"

"I got no reason to fight you," Ryouga replied without turning around. "I don't work for that jerk, and I don't want to."

"Ya still have a lot to answer for, bub," He replied, re-sheathing his claws. If the boy didn't want to fight, then he wasn't going to force him to. Glancing at the door, then back at the boy, he was surprised to find the latter had vanished. "Huh."

Putting the matter aside for the moment and concentrating on his mission, he approached the doors and forced them open, bursting into the room, claws again extended on the off-chance that Magneto had not already ran.

Seeing nothing but destroyed equipment littering the room, Wolverine walked down the stairs, re-sheathing his claws. When he reached the bottom, his communicator crackled.

"Wolverine, report!"

"Charles," Wolverine answered, "I was expected. Magneto was here, and I ran into that Hibiki kid."

"Ryouga?" Charles' voice responded, "Was he working for Magneto?"

"Negative on that, Chuck," Wolverine replied, "Said Buckethead left him here to delay me, but he didn't feel like it. Just up an vanished after that."

Looking around the ruined lab, he continued. "Looks like this place was some sorta," he paused as he took a sniff of the air, "DNA lab or somethin', but Magneto pulled out recently." He eyed the still-sparking equipment and added, "Real recently."

Taking another look around, his eyes narrowed as he saw a strange-yet-recognizable round device on the wall. Crap, he'd forgotten about the 'bomb-left-behind-to-clear-out-all-traces-and-hopefully-destroy-the-enemy' trap. "Sorry Prof," He said quickly as he noticed the timer on the bomb slowly ticking down, five seconds left on it, "I gotta sign off, NOW!"

Rsuhing towards the nearest window, he leaped out just in time to miss being caught in the explosion. Landing on his feet in the courtyard, he raced back into the woods as the castle came down behind him. As he ran to the spot he'd parked the Blackbird, he consoled himself with the fact that at least he got to do the cool 'dramatic-leap-out-at-the-last-second-with-explosions-behind-you' part. That was one of his favourites.

* * *

Jean was on her way to her room when she heard Scott call out her name from the intersecting hallway. 

"Kurt's taken off," Scott said as he approached her, taking her shoulder. "The professor wants us to check out his room."

"So what are we looking for?" Jean asked as they entered the German boy's empty room. Figures something would happen just as she finally got around to studying for that History final...

"I'm not sure," Scott answered, checking out the far end of the room. "The Professor says he thinks Kurt might have had a visit from Pietro this afternoon."

"Quicksilver?" Jean gasped, looking up from where she was examining the desk, "Here? But how?"

"Hey, you know how fast that dude moves," Scott answered, checking out the CD-player. He didn't expect to find anything there, but maybe Kurt had hidden something with that R.E.M CD of Scott's he had yet to return. "And I guess he could get by the mansion security with no problem."

"Pietro? Yeah, he was here."

Scott and Jean looked up to see Ranma leaning against the door frame munching on an apple. "You saw him?" Jean asked as she looked through the drawers of the desk.

"Yeah, accidentally tripped him when he was running by." Ranma replied, taking another bite. "Surprised the hell outta me. Forgot all about it 'til I overheard you guys."

Scott frowned slightly. "Ranma," he said, "You really need to start-"

"Oh no!" Jean exclaimed, cutting off Scott before Ranma could find out what it was he really needed to start doing. She was holding a light blue piece of paper. "Scott, look at this." She said, holding it out to the sunglasses-clad boy.

Scott took it and read it quickly. "Get the others," he said, looking up at Ranma and Jean, "We gotta move!"

Ranma blinked in confusion as the pair raced out the door. "Gotta move where?" He asked the empty room. Shrugging, and assuming they'd tell him on there way to wherever they had to get, he ran off to do as asked.

* * *

Kurt appeared at the required meeting place, clad in his uniform. Walking slowly, he looked among the skeletal frames of the buildings-in-progress and the various items being used to build them. Whoever had set-up this meeting - or ambush - had apparently not arrived yet, as far as he could see. "Okay," he said finally, "So I'm here." 

"Hello Kurt."

Kurt jumped at the sudden voice, spinning around to locate the source of it. Seeing a cloaked figure he was pretty certain hadn't been there before, he slowly walked forward, his eyes wide. "You," he said, "You're the one in Rogue's dream!"

Stopping several feet away from the woman, he continued. "Who are you?" He asked pleadingly, "Vhy don't you show yourself?"

"You already know me," The woman said, lifting her hands slowly to her hood and pulling it back. Kurt's eyes widened even further when he saw the face it concealed. A familiar blue face, with bright red hair. "Son." Mystique finished softly.

Kurt pulled back as if struck, shock evident in his features. "No!" He declared, "No, it's impossible!" Mystique? His mother? It couldn't be true! He ignored the sorrowful look on Mystique's face as she reached out towards him. "Vhat happened to me?" He asked angrily, "Why didn't you-"

Kurt was cut off by a loud grunt from above. Looking up in time to step back as The Blob landed in between the two, dressed in his usual torn vest and white wife-beater combat attire.

"Get away," Mystique ordered, grabbing Blob by the shoulder. Blob merely shoved he back with his shoulder and advanced on the other boy, grunting angrily.

Kurt stepped back as the massive boy stepped forward, only to hear the arrival of another behind him. Toad, also in his uniform - Kurt absently wondered about the purpose of the hump on the back - was crouched, ready to lash out with his prehensile tongue.

Looking to the left, he saw Avalanche. Looking to the right, he saw Network calmly sitting a ways away on a pile of steel beams, her legs crossed as she observed the blue-furred boy calmly. Both were also in uniform; at least, that's what he assumed Network's uniform must be.

The Brotherhood was completed with the - literally - instant arrival of Quicksilver, casually leaning against Blob's arm.

"Get out of here, all of you!" Mystique ordered angrily. This was not how it was supposed to go! This was even worse than when she had confronted Ranma! Dammit, was she cursed to never have a first meeting with a child ever go right? Belatedly, Mystique realized she might have been better off not using Quicksilver to deliver her message; hell, maybe it would have been better if she'd slipped the note into his locker.

Network smirked. "No can do, boss," she answered, sending early orders through the mind-link. Technically, Quicksilver was in charge of this operation, but this was what she did; hell if she was going to get in there and fight.

"Yeah," Quicksilver agreed with his own smirk, "We have higher orders. Know what I mean?" He snapped his fingers, ordering the attack to commence.

Nightcrawler immediately teleported as Toad whipped out his tongue, missing the slimy organ by mere nanoseconds. Reappearing on a large hook attached to a crane, porting again as Toad leaped into the air to grab him. "What kind of game is this, Mystique?" he asked, reappearing on the upper-section of an unfinished building.

Mystique's answer was cut off when Toad swung on the large hook, hitting the steel beam Nightcrawler was perched on and knocking the other boy to the ground, where he managed to fall into a large pile of sand. Surprised by the fall, Nightcrawler struggled to pull himself up as he was surrounded by Blob, Avalanche, and Quicksilver.

"Huh," Quicksilver remarked, "This is too easy."

"Wrong!" A new voice declared, Heads shooting up, the Brotherhood were greeted by the X-men. "It just became a lot harder!" Cyclops declared.

Network frowned. This hadn't been expected. Her eyes locked with Jean's as she prepared herself for mental combat, drawing on the mental energies of the rest o her team. She was a little worried, having never gone into a full-on psychic fight before, especially since she could tell the other girl had a lot more experience with such combat than she did.

"Get 'em!" Toad declared, landing in front of the others. Putting action to words, the boy hopped into the air, lashing his tongue out at Spyke, narrowly missing as the boy jumped back.

Growing a long spike out of his wrist, Spyke held it up in time to block Toad's second tongue-strike. "Uh-oh," Toad said worriedly, unable to retract the organ as Spyke pulled sharply on the bone, throwing Toad into a large pile of debris.

Network grit her teeth as she struggled to keep up the mind-link while simultaneously erecting mental shields against Jean's psychic blasts. This was a lot harder than she thought it would be; she quickly made a mental note to practice more with this particular aspect of her powers.

Jean frowned as she continued the attack. The girl's defenses were surprisingly great for one untrained in her abilities. Her attacks, on the other hand, were easily brushed off. Narrowing her eyes as she spared a glance for the now-unconscious form of Kurt, she pressed the attack.

"GrrrrrAAAAHH!!" Blob angrily declared as he charged Shadowcat. The girl crouched down, waiting until the last moment before leaping forward. Phasing through the boy, she delivered a hard kick to his back, using his momentum against him to knock him into a stationary cement mixer.

Cyclops smirked as he flipped the switch, activating the mixer. He stifled a laugh at Blob's protests as the mixer started rotating, the large boy trapped inside as he spun around with it.

Network groaned as the psychic assault threatened to overwhelm her. Sending a quick distress call to Avalanche, she was rewarded with the boy responding by stomping his foot to the ground, sending seismic tremors throughout the area. "Time to rock and roll!" He declared.

Jean's concentration vanished at the earthquake that sprouted below her. She looked up and gasped, seeing a large piece of steel falling towards her. She struggled to push it away telekinetically, but was unable to concentrate enough with the intense shaking going on around her. She was saved by the sudden arrival of Ranma, pushing her out of the path of the falling object.

"Thanks," She said breathlessly, shooting a glare at a smirking Network. Ranma nodded in return before racing off.

Avalanche glared at her, raising his foot again to send a stronger tremor through the ground. Before he could, however, he found himself suddenly tackled to the ground by Rogue.

Meanwhile, Cyclops was having hard time against the Brotherhood's speed demon.

"C'mon shades," Quicksilver taunted, stopping for a second and dodging just as an optic blast was fired at him, passing through the after-image he left behind. "Can't hit me!" He declared arrogantly, dodging several more blasts in the same manner, stopping long enough for Cyclops to fire but racing away before the beam could even come close to hitting him. "I'm too fast!" He announced, appearing right in Cyclops' face.

Cyclops was getting frustrated, but not letting up in his attempts to hit the speeding boy.

"Can't hit me, can ya?" Quicksilver said, speeding past Cyclops and hitting him in the back.

"I can," Ranma said, rolling his eyes as the speed demon passed in front of him, shooting his foot out at the last moment and sending a surprised Quicksilver flying through the air and into a dump truck. Looking over at Cyclops, he mock-yawned. "Please tell me it gets better than this, an' this is just them on an off day?"

Cyclops smirked. "Next time you can take them all by yourself, if you want."

Ranma grinned in response, absently back-handing Toad as he tried to launch a flying kick at his back. "Sounds like fun."

Avalanche struggled to throw Rogue off of him, his eyes widening in fear as he saw the girl's un-gloved hands come down on his face. He cried out in pain as she touched him, soon falling unconscious as his energy was drained out of him and into the girl.

Rogue winced as she stood up. Seeing Mystique fleeing, she ran as fast as she could after the shapeshifter. "Going somewhere?" She asked, stepping in front of the fleeing woman. "Me an' Kurt have a few questions we need YOU to answer!"

"It's too late for that," The shapeshifter replied, her voice distraught. This was obviously lost; after her team of morons had shown up and ruined everything, she had no doubt Kurt would never believe anything she told him. Burying the pain in a practiced manner, she turned away from Rogue. "It's too late for any answers I can provide. Far too late."

"Not so fast!" Rogue growled as the woman ran off. Using the powers borrowed from Avalanche, her eyes rolled up in her head and she stomped a foot against the ground, sending a tremor in the direction of the fleeing woman. The wrecking ball she was under began to shake violently.

Mystique looked up at the construction equipment fearfully, immediatly changing her shape into a raven, flying out of her cloak and away from the battle.

Rogue frowned as the woman flew off. Stomping a foot angrily against the ground - and sending a small shockwave through it - she turned back to rejoin the others. Arriving, she saw Network nervously looking at Cyclops, who had his visor pointed directly at her, his head ready to open the aperture and unleash a blast.

"We give up!" The girl declared. "Really, we do! My team's unconscious, and I'm not dumb enough to think I can take you on myself." Not without the mind-link, at least, and that had been cut when her team had been rendered unconscious. She frowned, muttering to herself. "There goes my bonus, and my chance to impress the higher-ups..."

"What was this about?" Cyclops demanded.

Network shrugged. "No idea," she answered. "Quicksilver came into the house saying we had to do this; orders from the top. Don't know any more than that." She slipped off the beam she was sitting on, blowing Cyclops a kiss. "Well, I'm off. Thanks for the fun time, cutie!" She declared, immediately fleeing before they could question her further.

The X-men blinked at the rapid departure. Cyclops was about to chase after her when he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Jean shaking her head.

"Let her go," the redhead told him, "We need to get Kurt back to the mansion and report this to the Professor."

Cyclops nodded, and Ranma took Nightcrawler off of Jean's shoulder. "Well," the pigtailed boy said, hefting the prone boy over his shoulder as the group walked off. "That was kinda fun, I guess.

* * *

"Alright, boys," Nabiki said to the four currently lounging around the television. "That really sucked." 

Todd shrugged. "Ain't nothin' new." He said, a slight tone of depression in his voice, "We never win."

Nabiki frowned. "Never?" She didn't pick the loser side, did she? There wasn't any money in losing.

Pietro smirked. "Actually," he said, "technically we won. The objective was to keep Mystique from telling blue boy what he wanted to know, and I think we managed to succeed in that regard."

"Speaking of," Nabiki said, tapping a finger against her chin, "Why did we have to do that anyway?"

"Can't tell ya," Pietro replied. He winced as he heard Nabiki's voice in his head, telling him in an icy tone, '**We will talk about this later, Maximoff.'**

"You do know boss-lady is gonna be pissed with us for that when she gets home, right?" Todd pointed out.

Freddy snorted. "When isn't she pissed with us?"

"Regardless," Nabiki said, "I don't intend to lose often. It's bad for business." While she felt a little better with the knowldge that they had completed their objective - hopefully this meant she'd get her bonus - she had no intention of being on the losing side. She wasn't a fighter, but with these little battles they tended to get into, she might have to become one. She was more used to dueling on a mental level, however, while everyone else seemed to be more concerned with the physical aspect of the fight. "You guys need to get better." She finished simply.

"Yeah, well I didn't see you doin' too well against Red back there, Nabs," Lance retorted with a smirk. "I mean, that is why you asked me to bail you out, right?"

Nabiki frowned, shooting him a glare. "I underestimated her," she replied, "I won't make that same mistake again." For some reason, Nabiki really didn't like the other telepath. She was actually looking forward to their next little duel, and she would make sure the redhead knew she had met her match. Which meant she had a lot of practice to do in order to get her mental abilities up to the other girl's level.

But that could come later. CSI: Milwaukee was starting.

* * *

"So the dreams Rogue was having," Logan summarized, "were really Mystique's..." 

"It appears so," Xavier replied. He, Logan, Scott and Jean were sitting in the library the morning after the battle at the construction yard. "Rogue must have picked them up from her when she touched Mystique just before she joined us."

"So..." Scott started, "Is she really Kurt's mother?"

Xavier frowned. "I am not certain, although Ranma has told me Mystique told him of a younger sibling. And the impressions I got during my meeting with her yesterday at the school would indicate so as well." He paused, then added "At the very least, she appears to think so."

"An' there wasn't anythin' left of that lab either," Logan added, "So any clues that mighta been there are gone. But before it went kablooey, it looked like the kinda place Dr. Frankenstein would have been comfy in."

"Genetic experimentation on mutants..." Xavier said softly, "I did not realize he was willing to go that far... And poor Kurt..."

Scott looked up at Logan as he stood up, walking towards one of the bookshelves. Sharing a glance with Jean, who shrugged in response, Scott looked towards the Professor. "So...what are you gonna tell Kurt about all this?" He asked.

"I'm not so sure the elf needs ta know," Logan said, looking over his shoulder at them. "At least, not yet. This is some pretty messed up stuff, and some of it could be pretty damaging."

Jean pulled her legs up to her chest and Scott slumped forward. This was pretty scary stuff; the idea that Kurt may have been experimented on as a baby. Was that what caused his appearance, or was that simply the result of his mutation? Were the two connected? Jean had no idea, and since the lab was destroyed, she doubted they would ever know.

* * *

On the balcony outside Kurt's bedroom, three figures stood watching the sunrise; well, two figures stood. the third was perched on the railing, his tail idly swishing in the air behind him. 

"I still cahn't believe it," Kurt said, glancing at Ranma and Rogue, "Mystique... is my mother?"

"Who really knows?" Rogue replied, "Ah mean, that's one seriously disturbed lady. Maybe she's just messin' with .

"Hey!" Ranma said, shooting Rogue a look, which she returned with a grin. "That's my mom too, y'know." After a short pause, he added, "An' she wouldn't do that ta mess with someone; she mentioned somethin' about havin' another kid before. I asked her 'bout it yesterday." He sighed. "You got no idea how much it hurt her ta talk 'bout it, Kurt. She didn't want ta havta give ya up, but tha way she worded it, seemed like she had no choice."

"I'm not sure if I believe that, although it sounds as if you do already," Kurt said after a moment, "No offense, Ranma, but I don't trust her at all; I don't understand vhy you do, in fact."

Ranma shrugged. "She's mom," he said simply, "You mighta had a mom growin' up, even if it was one through adoption, but I didn't. All I had was Pops, an' he was hardly even a decent father mosta tha time. I ain't known her long, an' I admit I ain't seen her the way you guys have, but I've got to give her a chance."

He smirked, "And for what it's worth, I think she's tellin' tha truth; tha way she tends ta act whenever tha subject comes up, I don't think she'd lie 'bout that."

"I guess there is a certain resemblance," Kurt admitted, looking down at himself. He'd never noticed before, but the blue of his fur was the exact same shade as Mystique's and Ranma's girl form's skin. He grinned at the pigtailed boy. "I guess you know chat that means, yeah?"

"Yeah," Ranma said with a smirk, "I come to America ta find my mom, and I managed to get a brother as well."

"We still don't know fer sure," Rogue pointed out.

"Nah, I'm sure of it," Ranma said, "My gut's tellin' me mom ain't lyin' 'bout it, and I tend to listen to it more than I do my head."

"Obviously," Rogue said with a smile, "Seein' tha way ya eat, I ain't got a doubt that it holds more sway than yer brain." She laughed as Ranma stuck his tongue out at her.

"Something is telling me it's right too," Kurt said with a frown, "As much as I admit I don't like it." He shook his head. "I mean, Mystique! My mother is with the bad guys!"

Ranma waved it off. "Ya get used to it, little bro."

"Maybe," Kurt said, "But I don't think I can trust her the way you do. So don't expect me to join in on any of your little family outings for a vhile at least."

"That's cool," Ranma said, grabbing Kurt off the railing with one arm and into a brotherly hug. "Do you do know what else this means though, right?" Seeing Kurt shake his head, he grinned and brought his knuckled down against the blue-furred boy's scalp in a surprise noogie. "It means I got fifteen years wortha older brother-type things ta make up for!"

"Hey, stop that!" Kurt cried out, unable to port away with Ranma's knuckles touching his head. Reacting on instinct, his tail wrapped around the older boy's ankle, laughing as he pulled his feet out from under him.

Ranma grunted as he hit the ground. "An' you also got just as many years of annoying little brother things ta catch up on." He said with a smirk.

Grinning, Rogue helped Ranma to his feet. "Alright, enough of this brotherly-bonding junk," She said, "It's almost time fer school, and we all got finals." She shot Ranma a mock glare. "An' you still gotta fix tha door yah broke down yesterday."

Ranma groaned. "Ah, crap." He stated, following Rogue out of the room. "Don't be too long, little bro," he called out to Kurt as he left.

Kurt nodded, smiling to himself as he turned back to look at the rising sun. He didn't like Mystique, even with this knowledge that she was his mother. That would take quite a while to get used to, if ever. But having Ranma as a brother wouldn't be so bad...

Kurt rubbed his head, wincing. As long as he refrained from the noogies, at least.

* * *

End Chapter Nine

* * *

No real notes right now... I have a killer headache. 

Next chapter will take place during 'Grim Reminder', but will have little to do with the actual espisode. It's a bit too Logan-heavy, the only other characters in it really are Kurt and Kitty, and I don't see how much Ranma or anyone else being added in could really contribute to the story. So just to clarify, the events will still take place, but it will all be happening, for the most part, off-camera.


	10. Chapter 10

**Evolution 1/2**

* * *

Disclaimer: I'm a funny disclaimer, hear me shout; This is Ranma 1/2, this is X-Men: Evolution! When I write this story, do not doubt; I make no claims to the intellectual properties contained hereabouts! 

Yeah, it was lame, and yeah, one of the lines didn't rhyme. What are you gonna do about it? Not all of them can be comedy gold! Get off my back about it already! Jeez!

* * *

Chapter Ten

**Warning**: This chapter contain some slightly limish content; not much, really, but enough that some people who get edgy about such things might object. Any kids under legal age that might be reading this - although you shouldn't, I guess - make sure your parents don't catch you. I recommend opening a seperate window to quickly switch to if any adults get too close to the screen.

* * *

In the weeks since Ranma's arrival at the mansion, the other X-Men had gotten used to getting up early; they had to, once he had begun instructing them in martial arts. It was either wake up early, or _be_ woken up early, usually in an unpleasant and humiliating way. After several rude awakenings via being sent out a window into the pool, the teens had reluctantly begun to set their alarms earlier. 

Arriving in the backyard of the mansion, dressed in white training gis, the students were greeted to a sight that they had also begun to get used to in the mornings: Ranma sitting in full lotus position, oblivious to world around him, surrounded by a soft blue glow. Every morning since Ranma had awoken from his coma after the fight with Ryouga, they had seen him sitting in this same exact pose, surrounded by the same exact glow, and with the same exact apparent obliviousness to his surroundings.

"So..." Scott said as they watched their instructor for several minutes. "Who wants to try and bring him out of it today?"

"I did it yesterday, man," Evan said, shaking his head and rubbing his lower back. "The bruise is still hurtin'."

"Well," Jean said, tapping a finger against her chin, "who's getting the personal torture today?" After making his assessment of their combat potential and ability several weeks ago, Ranma had made good on his declaration. While the group sessions hadn't changed too much, Ranma had begun picking one of them - usually at random - every day for a more personalized session while the others practiced the day's lesson. In such personal sessions, he had made good on his promise that their 'asses were his, and they were gonna be hurtin''. It hadn't taken long for said personal sessions to gain the reputation of 'personal torture'.

"Not gonna be me," Scott said, "I had it yesterday."

"Right!" Jean exclaimed, "So that means you should do it! He already tortured you yesterday, so you don't have to worry about it if you upset him!" Ranma never picked the same person for one-on-one sessions two days in a row.

"And have him get back at me for it the next time?" Scott replied, shaking his head. "Uh-uh, no way."

"Vell, someone has to do it," Kurt said, eying his still-glowing half-brother. "He won't snap out of it if ve don't, and then ve won't get any training today." He glanced at them, "And you remember how he made up for the last time ve missed a session..."

A collective shudder passed through the group at the remembrance of that event. Where Ranma had managed to obtain so many hornet nests - or how he had managed to make them so angry - none of them knew, but it was an experience they did not want to repeat.

"Okay," Evan said, raising a hand, his palm facing upwards. Seconds later, six thin spikes grew out of it. "One of these spikes is shorter than the others; we all draw, one of us loses and has to get him out of this."

"Right," Kitty said, rolling her eyes, "And you know which spike is which, which like, conveniently means you won't be the one who has to do it."

"Hey, I did it yesterday!" Evan retorted.

While the other students continued to argue, Ranma was once again delving deep within himself. It had been two weeks since he had discovered the thin line of empty energy - for lack of a better term - that existed on the edge of his ki. In that time, he had managed to locate it faster and easier every time, but he had still not found a way to tap into it, much less harness it in any way.

Manipulating his ki had always come easy to him - well, easier than he assumed it should - ever since his father had taught him the basics when he was ten. In the seven years since, it had become second nature to use his life energy to boost his physical attributes during fights, and when Ryouga had learned the Shi Shi Hokodan, it hadn't been much trouble to figure out a way to adapt the idea, and create a ki blast of his own. Now, of course, Ryouga was capable of using pure ki, without any emotions to focus it, which meant Ranma had another thing to work on. But that would have to come after he had figured out a solution to the current problem.

Careful deliberation had shown that using force was not the correct solution. The nullification itself was rather passive, when he had taken the time to think about it. Those whom it effected didn't feel a thing, until they tried to use their powers and found them simply not there. Jean had described the sensation best; she had said when she concentrated, she could still feel her powers, but they felt like they were being held far away from her, behind layer upon layer of impenetrable shielding. Ranma had thought on that statement heavily. If the nullification worked like a series of shields around a mutant's powers, perhaps the entire effect was more defensive than offensive in nature.

But what did that mean? If the nullification was defensive in nature, then perhaps it couldn't be used as a method of direct attack? Ranma didn't know why, but that theory seemed very right when he thought of it. Which meant he'd been going about the whole idea in the wrong manner from the beginning. That was a bit of a disappointment; he'd been hoping to be able to fire off powerful blasts of null energy at his mutant opponents, robbing them temporarily of their powers and dealing them a nice amount of damage. What's more, the only defensive method he could think of would be to create a shield around himself, and he simply could not think of a single use for such a thing - not to mention the idea sounded lame as hell.

Focusing his mind's eye, he examined the differences between his ki and the strand of nothing - which he really had to think of a better name for. The life energy literally flowed through him, a river of energy coursing through his body in a constant circuit. The strand on the other hand, existed within the river, moving along with it wherever it flowed and putting up no resistance, yet never actually touching it. In a way, it made sense; his powers were passive, and thus the strand of nothing itself was passive as well, moving wherever his ki took it. Numerous experiments over the past week, however, had shown that it was not as passive as it seemed; whenever another mutant touched him, the strand would react almost violently, growing longer and breaking from his ki to attach to the other person. From there, the strand would weave itself into numerous sheer but impenetrable layers of nothing throughout their body, like shields of the finest silk. When contact was broken, the process would completely reverse, the shields un-weaving and contracting back into him, returning to the same thread as before. Both processes took little more than a second to occur.

While interesting, these experiments had provided him with little idea of how to control the effect, much less use it in another way. Further meditation and experimentation, however, had revealed that the strand reacted very strongly when touched by ki, writhing about in a snake-like fashion, expanding and wrapping around the ki, but never interrupting it's flow. Ranma had thought he'd made a breakthrough when he first did this, but when he had tried firing the combined energies in a ki blast, the strand had suddenly unraveled and returned to it's former state, making the blast nothing but ki. Even so, Ranma had continued to try various methods along these lines. All had failed.

Since wrapping the strand around his ki had done nothing, what if he wrapped his ki around the strand? Focusing harder, he snaked out a thin line of ki towards the source of the nullification. Upon touching, the latter instantly reacted in the usual manner, expanding and attempting to surround the ki. Pulling the energy away quickly, he briefly re-thought the method. After considering everything he knew so far, Ranma again extended the small amount of life energy towards the strand, but never touched it.

Focusing more than he ever thought himself capable of focusing, he carefully manipulated his ki to encircle the strand, but not touch it. Outwardly, his teeth clenched and sweat began dripping down his brow as he continued the arduous task. Ranma had never tried to manipulate his internal energies in such a fine and detailed manner before. Enhancing his strength or speed was easy; it was as difficult as threading a large-eyed needle. He merely took his ki, guiding it through the pathways of his body and into the appropriate areas, adding the strength of his very soul into the muscles themselves. Density, pain tolerance, and resistance to fatigue would increase - it was as simple as that, and Ranma didn't even have to think about it any more to make it happen.

This, on the other hand, was comparable to taking that same thread, and trying to throw it through the smallest needle eye in existence from thirty feet away - while blindfolded, stone-drunk, and being distracted by a horde of angry howler monkeys. Ranma was nothing, however, if not determined, and soon, he had managed to completely surround the strand, sealing it inside a shell of ki. Keeping his concentration, he slowly began contracting the shell, bringing the ki closer to the strand.

When the two touched, the reaction from the strand was the same as before; however, this time, the strand was completely surrounded. Yet somehow, while the nothingness was expanding and growing longer, the ki managed to expand with it, keeping it contained! Moving the ki throughout his body, he was ecstatic to discover the ever-expanding strand was moving easily with it, allowing Ranma to direct where it went. Finally, it looked like he was going to have some success in this endeav-

"Ranma?"

Ranma's head whipped back as he felt a touch on his shoulder, the voice behind him startling him out of his concentration and causing him to lose focus, and thus lose control of his ki. The shell shattered, and the strand instantly contracted again into a thin line.

Scott gulped and stepped back, pulling his hand away from Ranma's shoulder as the heat of the pigtailed boy's glare struck him with a force not unlike one of his own optic blasts. He'd managed to draw the short spike, after they had finally agreed to Evan's method, and thus he was the unlucky one who got to bring Ranma out of his meditation.

"Scott." Ranma greeted, his voice even and devoid of emotion.

"Uh... hey Ranma," Scott stuttered out nervously. "It's, uh - time for training..."

Ranma stood up, his glare never leaving Scott. "Guys," he addressed the others in the same even tone, "you just won yerselves an extra hour of sleep." He grinned maliciously. "Scott here, however, has won a second day of personal trainin'.

"Evan," he added as the group began to leave, "before you go, I'm gonna need three dozen foot long, razor-sharp spikes." He tapped his chin, adding, "Now... I'm gonna need some rope, several gophers, and the swimming pool..."

Scott shot the others a pleading look as they rapidly departed, Evan staying only long enough to produce the requested spikes. Gulping, he looked back to Ranma, who's malicious grin had grown wider and scarier as he petted a gopher in his arms. Where the hell had he gotten that so quickly?! Scott had only looked away for a second! This was not going to be fun.

* * *

Kitty yawned as she walked sleepily from her room to the girl's bathroom; that extra hour of sleep hadn't helped much, but at least she'd be able to go through the day without the usual aches and pains that resulted from Ranma's training. Not that she hated it, far from it in fact - the special training he'd been giving her in increasing her pain tolerance had the added bonus of allowing her to phase longer than she'd ever been able to before. Using her powers was like flexing a muscle; the longer she tried to keep it flexed, the harder it got to keep doing it. Increasing her pain tolerance seemed to allow her to flex it longer, which meant her phasing ability had become that much stronger. 

Hiding another yawn behind her hand, Kitty phased through the bathroom door, completely missing the 'occupied' sign hanging from the handle.

"Hey, d'you mind?"

Kitty stepped back through the door in surprise. A second later, the door opened again and Rogue leaned out, wearing pajamas, he hair currently untamed. "The door was locked," she said, narrowing her eyes at the younger girl and jabbing her with the hairbrush in her hand.

Kitty grinned nervously and stepped back. "Who can read at this hour?" she tried to reason as the door was slammed in her face. "Well sorry..." she told the door, turning and heading back to her room.

_'Dear Mom and Dad,' _Kitty typed out on her laptop. Since Rogue was in the bathroom - which meant Kitty wouldn't be getting in any time soon - and the other students - with the exception of Scott and Ranma - were still in bed enjoying the rare gift of sleeping past 5 am, the brown-haired girl had decided to take advantage of the quiet to type out an email to her parents. She was currently sitting cross-legged on her bed dressed in her usual blue jeans and pink top over white tee-shirt ensemble , laptop resting against her calves.

_'Today started out a bit different from all the other days; Ranma actually let us sleep in for a bit, and not have to suffer through the torture that he calls training. Well, except for Scott. I have to say I don't envy what he's likely going through. Aside from that, everything is normal for a school day here, with everyone feeling a little crowded - me included.'_

Glancing up as Rogue walked into the room, fully dressed but hair still untamed, she looked back down and continued typing. _'Especially with a roommate like Rogue, although it's not exactly easy to get close to her - or healthy, either. Although she seems to have lightened up a bit since Ranma got here, she hasn't really gotten any closer to the rest of us.'_

The sound of Rogue's hairdryer startled the younger girl out of her thoughts. Sighing, she closed her laptop and walked off to attempt to find someplace quiet to continue.

Rogue didn't bother to spare her roommate a glance as she worked on her hair, trying to get the knots out with the brush as she dried it. Finally getting it under control, she set it and the hairdryer down on the vanity and looked herself over. No way in hell that blond annoyance looked half as good as her. Smirking, she turned away and walked out the door, not noticing as she bumped into Kitty.

Meeting Ranma as he stepped out of his room, dressed in a red tee-shirt and a pair of black jeans. It had taken some effort, but she had managed to get him to start wearing other clothes. The next step was getting him into some different colours.

"Hey," She said, leaning against the wall with a smile, "never seen ya let any of us outta trainin'. Ya musta been pretty peeved at Scott fer botherin' ya."

Ranma chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I was," he admitted, scratching under his pigtail. "An' I guess I went a little overboard with tha gophers - Scott may be walkin' funny for the next coupla days." He looked over at her and added, "But I had just made a breakthrough, an' he interrupted it..."

Rogue's eyes widened slightly. "Ya did?" She asked breathlessly, "what happened?"

Ranma shook his head. "Too complicated ta explain," he said, "ta make a long story short, I might be able to nullify from a distance soon. Which means me an' Ryouga will have a fight on even terms next time tha pig shows up."

Rogue narrowed her eyes at the mention of the jerk from the mountain. He'd better not show up anytime soon, if he knew what was good for him. "Ah'd rather the jerk not come back." She muttered darkly.

"He will, eventually," Ranma replied as the pair began walking down the stairs, "he always does. An' he's really not that bad a guy - Ryouga's just got... issues. "

Rogue snorted and shook her head. "He put yah in a coma fer almost a week, Ranma," she said. "You are far too dang forgivin' fer yer own good, sugah."

"Heh." Ranma replied, crossing his arms behind his head. "Ain't that tha truth." Ranma turned off to head towards the kitchen, where he could smell breakfast waiting. A hand on his arm stopped him however. Glancing over at Rogue with a questioning look, he was surprised to see her smile and slip her arm into his. "Rogue?" He asked.

"Ah don't feel like fightin' over breakfast with tha others," She said, leading him to the door. "C'mon, lets walk ta school and grab somethin' on tha way."

Ranma blinked, but made to protest as he let the girl lead him out the door. The idea didn't sound that bad, and the idea of spending time with the girl was very appealing. "'Kay," he said simply, flashing her his trademark smile.

Rogue blushed at the look, biting her lip and turning her head away. Hopefully, in the time it took them to get to school, she'd be able to work up the courage to ask him what she wanted to ask him.

* * *

Kitty sighed as Scott, Jean, Evan and Kurt burst into the kitchen, all talking up a storm, eating noisily, and generally disturbing the peace and quiet yet again. Resting her head in her palm, she glanced up at the TV as Scott turned it on. She stifled a snicker as he saw he was favouring his left side when he moved; Ranma's 'personal training' must have been worse than she imagined, and she really didn't want to know what he had intended to do with those gophers. She was shaken out of her thoughts when the volume of the television suddenly increased. Looking over, she saw Logan standing in front of the device, holding the remote and scowling at the news report. 

"...as a result, the Canadian authorities have closed off Mount McKinna National Park until further notice." The screen showed a destroyed campsite, surrounded by yellow police tape.

"Mount McKinna..." Logan growled, turning away and throwing the remote to the ground as he stalked out the door.

"Hey Logan," Scott asked as the group watched the man leave, "You okay?"

Not getting an answer, not that he had expected one, Scott shared a glance and a shrug with the others.

Kitty went back to typing her email, trying to ignore the resurgence of noise. Sighing in defeat as Evan and Kurt started a small donut fight, she closed her laptop and left to find another, more quiet place to write.

* * *

"Yeah, Em, we're still coming to Boston for the summer," Melinda paused as the voice on the other end said something. "Yeah, I'm still excited about visiting you guys, you know I am, it's just - y'know..." She brought her white Mini Cooper S convertible to a halt as she approached a stop sign. Making a couple of quick glances down both directions of the intersecting street, she sped forward, Bayville High soon appearing at the end of the street. 

"Yeah, it has to do with that guy I told you about." Melinda replied, "He has that other girl after him, y'know, and I'm just worried that if I leave Bayville for all of summer break, it'll give her the opportunity to win him over, and I'll lose any chance I got."

She half-listened to the voice on the other end as she pulled into the student parking lot, pleased to see her usual space had not been taken yet. "Yeah, he's worth it. Definitely worth it." Pause. "Bring him with me to Boston? I doubt he'd go for it. He has like, obligations or something at the school he lives at."

"And besides," Melinda continued, cutting the engine and stepping out of her Mini. Grabbing her schoolbag from the back seat, she leaned back against her car. "I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with you meeting Ranma, anyway."

"It's not that I don't trust you," Melinda said after another pause, "It's just... well, remember last summer, when Cordy brought that Michael guy home? He took one look at you, and suddenly it was like Cordy wasn't even there. And it didn't help matters that you encouraged him in the way you did." She smirked, adding, "Although it was damn funny seeing Aunt Hazel's reaction to that bikini you wore; I could have sworn she was about to have an aneurysm when she saw you come out of the pool."

Another long pause as the voice on the other end responded. "Okay, fine, I'll see if he wants to come, but I doubt he will." Glancing at the time, Melinda wrapped up the conversation. "Hey Em, I gotta go. Call ya later tonight, 'k? Cool. Lova ya too. Bye."

Closing her phone and dropping it into her pack, Melinda casually pushed open the doors to the school and headed for the cafeteria, intending to get her morning cup of coffee before classes started, all the while thinking about how she could try and get Ranma to come with her to Boston for the summer.

"Melinda Frost?"

"Yes?" She asked, glancing over to the source of the voice. It had come from a short-haired Japanese girl she had seen around before, but didn't know the name of.

The girl approached, smirking. "Nabiki Tendo," She introduced herself. "I'm a... friend of Ranma's."

Melinda narrowed her eyes a bit, making a more detailed assessment of the girl. Beautiful, although not in Melinda's league, with a great body. If this girl was more competition for Ranma...

Seeing the look in the other girl's eyes, Nabiki's smirk grew. "No need for the evil eye, Ms. Frost," she said, "I'm not interested in Ranma - not in that way, at least. But I've seen how you look at him," she added, pulling a small envelope out of her bag, "and I would like to make you and offer."

Melinda raised an eyebrow, glancing at the envelope. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Opening the envelope, Nabiki took out a several items and handed them to the other girl. Taking them, Melinda's eyes widened as she saw what they were. Photographs. Photographs of Ranma, to be more precise. Photographs of Ranma in numerous half-clothed and unclothed states, to be perfectly accurate. A small line of drool escaped her mouth; she had been able to tell the boy had a great body, both from looking at him and the covert gropes she had managed to get while with him. But these pictures put even the mental images she had concocted to shame. Looking up at the other girl, she raised an eyebrow. "Where-" she swallowed, "Where did you get these?"

"I have my sources," Nabiki said casually. The school's security camera system had been simple to break into. With the help of her teammates, she had added a couple more hidden cameras in the boy's and girl's locker room, routing the feeds into the school's own system, but successfully hiding any trace of them from anyone who might even have the idea they should be looking. The best part was, the hard copies of the files went directly into her, meaning the recordings could not be traced even if someone managed to stumble onto the cameras.

This had the added benefit of giving her constant access to crystal clear images of numerous _very_ fit and _very_ sexy guys.

Shaking herself out of the reverie, Nabiki smirked at the blond. "Well, interested? Set of ten for a mere fifty dollars."

Glancing around, Melinda spared a split second to actually think about the offer before thrusting a wad of bills into Nabiki's hands. Dashing into the bathroom without another word, she decided to forgo her morning latte.

She had a much better source for her morning energy rush now.

* * *

Ryouga payed little attention as he exited the thick jungle and entered an alleyway. A homeless man sitting against a dumpster stared with wide eyes as he looked back and forth from the boy and the dead end on the other side of alleyway, but Ryouga ignored him as well. He had more important things on his mind. 

Ranma's powers made his useless. The advantage he had thought he had over his rival meant nothing compared to the advantage Ranma had been given. It was typical; he gained power he had to work hard to control, and Ranma had powers thrown into his lap that worked without him even trying.

Ryouga growled, working to restrain his aura and not frighten the people he walked past by suddenly glowing. While he didn't care much about being a mutant, and actually his aura had been something he'd been able to generate even before he'd become a mutant, he had no desire to draw attention to himself in that manner. The reactions people tended to have whenever he turned into a pig or burst through a wall had shown him that people outside of Japan simply were not nearly as accustomed to inhuman feats, and often reacted with fear. Ryouga had no desire to scare people, which meant he'd have to restrain himself; fortunately, the training that bastard Magnus had given him made that a much easier task.

How the hell was he going to get around Ranma's powers? In the week since he had escaped that damnable castle, he had thought heavily on the matter, and had come to only to possible solutions. One, he could cover his body completely, making it so Ranma would not make any blows that connected with his skin and therefor nullify his powers. And two, channel all of his ki into his speed and dodge every one of Ranma's blows.

Ryouga didn't like that second option one bit; dodging was Ranma's style, and he would rather die than use his hated foe's method of fighting. The first option wasn't much better - his aura would likely incinerate most of his extra covering, not to mention a more intense fight would destroy what his aura didn't.

Which left a third option, Ryouga suddenly realized, one that he almost kicked himself for not thinking of sooner. His entire goal was to beat Ranma; so why was he relying on the powers his mutant physiology granted him? It would be far more satisfying to beat Ranma in a fair fight, with no powers used on either side. Just skill against skill.

Unfortunately, Ryouga was not sure if he'd be able to do it. The urge to use his ki was too strong; the power sang out to him, begging to be used. Add in that using his ki to augment his strength was more an instinctual thing now than something he did by choice. He didn't think it was even possible to get rid of his extra ki and bring himself down to the level he was at originally; hell, he didn't even remember how much ki he had before he gained his massive reserves.

Still, there had to be a way to do it. Which meant more training.

Finally taking notice of his surroundings, he saw he was in a small town. As usual, he didn't recognize anything around him, and there were no natural or man-made landmarks that he recognized. Which meant he had to do something he hated most.

"Excuse me, sir?" He asked a random passerby, taking a guess and speaking in English. His surroundings seemed to indicate he was in either America or Canada. "I'm a little lost, can you tell me what city this is?"

"Bayville, New York," The man replied, giving the boy an odd look before walking off.

"Thank you," Ryouga replied, walking away. Okay, he knew where exactly he was now... and had no idea where THAT was. Sighing and adjusting the weight of his pack, he continued walking on. He didn't know how long it would take to find Ranma, but in the meantime, he had some extra training to do.

* * *

"So," Rogue asked when they arrived at school, grimacing in slight disgust as Ranma shoved another Bacon Breakfast Burger Bomb into his mouth. Ignoring it, she continued her inquiry. "So, do yah have any more finals?" 

Ranma nodded, swallowing his food. "Yeah, just one." He grimaced, continuing, "The Executioner; Varnsen's Physics final. I hear it's a freakin' nightmare."

Rogue grinned, "Why are yah even takin' that class anyway?" she asked. "It don't seem like somethin' you'd go an' choose yerself."

"I didn't," Ranma replied, "The Prof selected my classes for me. I asked him 'bout it, an he said Physics would help with martial arts." He shook his head in disbelief, "Surprisingly, he ain't wrong on that. I don't understand mosta what Varnsen says in class, but what I did manage ta pick up on tha stuff involvin' movement and kinetic energy and whatnot, and it does help a bit."

"Ah'm impressed," Rogue commented with a smirk, "both at yer interest in somethin' that don't directly effect fightin', and yer seemin' ability ta use yer brain." She laughed when Ranma stuck out his tongue at her. "Aww, yah know Ah'm jus' teasin'" She said, giving him a peck on the cheek. She laughed again when he blushed a bright red.

"So we doin' anythin' important in English today?" Ranma asked, attempting to change the subject.

"Don't think so," Rogue replied after a moments thought, "We're jus' gettin' tha results of our final essay, Ah think."

"Ranma!"

Rogue frowned as the annoyingly familiar voice intruded on them, a blond blur soon attaching itself to Ranma's other arm and resolving into the smiling form a Melinda.

"Hey Mel," Ranma greeted, inwardly sighing as both his arms were now occupied, meaning he couldn't reach into his take-out bag and eat his last Bacon Breakfast Bomb.

"Hey Ranma," Melinda greeted again, pressing against his arm and fluttering her eyelashes at him.

Rogue rolled her eyes at the girl's blatant display, disengaging herself from Ranma's other arm and crossing her own over her chest. "Excuse me, Melinda," She said in a faux-sugary tone, "but Ranma and Ah were havin' a conversation. Do yah mind?"

"No, I don't mind," Melinda replied, smiling back at the other girl, "Go ahead an keep talking, I'll just wait here 'til your done."

Rogue continued, her tone and smile never wavering, "It was more of a private conversation, if yah know what I mean, so if yah could be so kind as ta-"

"Actually," Ranma interrupted, pulling his arm away from Melinda while wondering why his danger sense was flaring. "I gotta run... need ta, um, study for that Physics final - yeah, that's it." He was backing away the entire time he spoke, and was shouting the last words from the end of the hall just before he ducked around the corner.

Melinda and Rogue watched him depart, then in tandem turned their gazes on each other, glares burning deep into each other. "You're going to pay for that, skunk-hair." Melinda said coldy, pulling an errant strand of blond hair from her face.

Rogue smirked. "Right, Ah'm sure." She replied, turning down the same hall Ranma had fled down.

Melinda glared at Rogue's retreating form, her mind going back to the earlier conversation with her cousin. She was definitely going to get Ranma to come to Boston with her for the summer, if only to get him away from that bitch; and if he couldn't go, perhaps Emma could come here, and the same results could be achieved...

* * *

"Hey, any of you seen Kitty or Kurt today?" Scott asked as he sat down. The group was eating outside in the quad today, taking advantage of the excellent weather. "I was gonna give them a ride today, but they never showed. Had to leave without them." 

"No man," Evan responded with a shake of his head. "Not since this morning."

"Huh," Scott said, looking around the quad to see if either were at any of the other tables. "I don't see 'em here, and neither of them are the type to skip." He shrugged, taking a bit of his sandwich. "Probably in the library or something. I think they both still have finals."

Glancing over at Ranma and Jean, who were sitting at the far end of the table, heads buried in identical books, numerous sheets of notebook paper spread out around them. "What are you two so busy with?"

"Physics," they replied in tandem, not looking up.

Rogue smirked. "They have Varnsen's final right after lunch," she explained.

"Ah," the sunglasses-clad boy said, comprehension coming over his features. He'd heard the rumours, and was thrilled he'd managed to get the easy-going Sanderson for his Physics class. Sure, separate classes meant he wouldn't be able to spend time with Jean, but he figured not having to take a final like Varnsen's dreaded 'Executioner' balanced it out. "Still, I'm surprised you're taking it as seriously as Jean, Ranma."

"If you had a mom who would kick your ass for bringin' home a failing grade, you'd be studyin' your ass of too." Ranma winced as soon as the words left his mouth, looking up from his book. "Ah, damn, sorry Scott. I didn't mean ta-"

Scott waved it off. "It's alright Ranma," he said with a good-hearted smile. It had been more than a decade since he lost his parents and little brother in that plane crash, and he'd had plenty of time over the years to grieve. "Just get back to studying and forget about it."

Ranma shot him another apologetic look before turning back to his book, reading everything over and committing it all to memory as fast as he was able to. His eidetic memory wasn't very effective outside of combat situations, but it would allow him to memorize the information in the book and retain it for a few hours; long enough for the final, at least, and that was what mattered.

Understanding it, of course, was another matter.

Across from him, Jean was rubbing her forehead as she struggled through the information in the textbook; it was times like this she almost wished she didn't have such a strong moral compass. It would be so easy to simply read Varnsen's mind and get the answers, and not have to deal with this headache the book was causing her.

Sitting back for a moment to rest her eyes and let her brain assimilate the information, she felt twinge of pain flash through her skull, followed by a muffled voice she easily recognized as someone else's thoughts. Forcing them out of her mind, she turned back to her book and resumed studying.

Glancing over at Ranma, Rogue sighed inwardly; there was no way should could interrupt him when he was this focused. Not that it really mattered. She hadn't managed to work up the nerve to ask him out yet anyway.

Ignoring her lunch, she let her eyes wander. It was surprisingly dull, with Kurt not there and Ranma busy studying. Scott and Evan were talking about some kind of sports she cared little for. The Brotherhood were on the other side of the quad, apparently the focus of a small group of people. Narrowing her eyes, she thought she could see money exchanging hands between the Brotherhood and the students around them. She was about to get up and see what was going on when she stopped dead by the sight of a person heading towards their table.

Rogue narrowed her eyes as she watched Melinda approaching Ranma from behind. She didn't need to steal Jean's powers to find out what was going on in the blond girl's mind; she could read it on her face, plain as day. Melinda was going to ask Ranma out again. Rogue's eyes rapidly darted forth and back between the pigtailed boy and the blond girl, the latter getting closer every second. "Ranma!" she said suddenly.

"Yeah?" he asked, raising his eyes to look at her after a second.

"Wanna go an' do somethin' after school today?" She asked, hiding her nerves behind a small smile and a blush. "Just you 'n me, like this mornin'?"

"Yeah, sure," Ranma said, flashing a smile back in return. "Sounds like fun."

Rogue smiled brightly. "Great," she said, picking up her bag as the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. "Well, good luck on yer final." She said, walking around the table and patting him on the shoulder.

Smirking as she passed a shell-shocked Melinda, Rogue made her way into the building with a bit of a spring in her step.

Groaning simultaneously as the bell finished ringing, Ranma and Jean shared a glance of dismay. "Well," Jean said, rubbing her forehead as she closed her book, "time to face the Executioner." She winced as another bolt of pain shot through her head, causing her to lose control and pick up numerous surface thoughts from the students around her.

Ranma noticed the wince and raised an eyebrow. "You okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine," Jean said, waving off his concern, "My telepathy's acting up for some reason. This headache isn't doing much to help me keep control of it, too."

"Huh," Ranma said, considering. "That's gonna make Varnsen's final even worse, I bet. 'Speciallly if you keep hearin' other people thinkin' all around ya."

Jean nodded as the pair stood up, making their way towards the school doors. Ranma frowned as an idea occurred to him. "I... I might be able ta help ya." He said after a moment.

"You have some aspirin?" Jean asked hopefully.

"Nope," Ranma said with a shake of his head, "Just somethin' I've been workin' on lately. Thing is, I ain't ever actually tested it."

Jean raised an eyebrow. "And what would is it supposed to do."

Ranma stopped, stepping in front of the redhead. "Better ta show ya, since I don't really know how ta explain it... do ya trust me?"

Looking at him in confusion for a moment, Jean nodded slowly. Glancing up at the clock on above the classroom door, she could see they still had seven minutes before they had to get to class. "We don't have a lot of time," she said, pointing at the clock.

Ranma glanced up at it. "Should only take a couple minutes..." he said. Looking around and finding the hallways were presently deserted, he closed his eyes and focused in the same manner he had that morning. Quickly locating his ki and the strand, he worked hard to recreate the shell of the former around the latter. Once it was completed, he contracted it, feeling the strand start to expand as soon as it was touched by the ki. He was then pleased to discover it didn't take as much concentration to maintain the shell as it had before.

Opening his eyes, he reached a hand up to Jean, who almost stepped back when she saw it glowing a soft blue. Closing her eyes tightly as the hand touched her forehead, they snapped open again as she felt her access to her powers completely cut off, the absence of her telepathy taking the headache with it. Her eyes widened when the nullification remained in effect as Ranma removed his hand.

Ranma was breathing hard by the time he had removed his hand. Stumbling over to the wall, he pressed a hand against it to brace himself. "Heh," he managed to get out weakly, "took more outta me than I thought it would."

Jean was watching the pigtailed boy with surprise. His nullification usually only remained in effect with direct skin contact, but somehow it was still working.

Shaking herself out of her shock, Jean moved to help Ranma up. "What did you do? Are you okay?"

Ranma nodded, feeling his energy slowly returning to him. "Yeah, I'm good," He said, "An I ain't sure exactly what I did, but I nullified your powers. Designed if for the next time I gotta fight Ryouga. Not sure how long it'll last, though; first time I ever used it on someone."

"Wow," Jean said, surprised. "Is this what you've been doing every morning before training?" She asked as she helped him to the classroom. They still had a good minute before the late bell rang.

Ranma nodded. "S'why I got so pissed at Scott today," He said. "I finally made some progress, an' then he goes an' interrupts me. I'm hopin' to work it inta some kinda attack or blast or somethin'." He blinked, glancing over at Jean as they reached Varnsen's classroom. "By the way, let me know when it wears off. Gonna need ta know how long it lasts, y'know?"

Jean smiled and nodded. "No problem. Thank you, by the way," she added, giving him a quick hug. "Well, ready?"

Ranma sighed. "May as well get it over with," he muttered, "I better get at least a C, or mom is really gonna kick my ass.

Laughing, Jean entered the room behind Ranma. In the back of her mind, however, she was surprised that the headache had vanished with her powers. In the past, head pain had caused her to lose control of her telepathy, but in this case - and this was something she was afraid to admit to herself - it seemed as though her telepathy was the cause of her headache, something that hadn't happened since she had first gotten her powers. Hopefully she was just having an off-day.

Sitting down in her seat, Jean pushed it to the back of her mind. She had other things to focus on now, anyway. Like not letting this exam beat her and forcing her to join the ranks of hapless students the school had dubbed 'The Executed'.

* * *

Rogue waited outside the boys locker room, a smile on her face. Sure, she knew Ranma probably didn't realize this was a date, but it didn't matter to her. She was going to be spending time with the lovable idiot, and that was enough. Sure, getting the better of that blond bimbo was nice also, but it was merely icing on the cake. 

'_An speakin' of blondie...'_ Rogue thought to herself, her eyes narrowing as the girl came out of the women's locker room. Smirking as she saw Melinda coming towards her, she crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall.

"Coach asked Ranma to stay after class for a bit," Melinda said as she neared Rogue. "Something about trying to convince him to try out for one of the sports teams next year." She narrowed her eyes and poked Rogue in the shoulder. "Which means you and me have a little time to talk, skunk-hair."

"And if Ah don't wanna talk ta yah?" Rogue asked, still smirking.

"Tough," Melinda said. "We're gonna talk." Crossing her arms over her chest, she stared Rogue directly in the eyes with a cool gaze. "What did you think you were doing at lunch?"

"Ah was askin' Ranma out," Rogue replied. "Ah thought that was obvious."

"You saw me coming," Melinda stated bluntly, "And you asked him out because you knew I was about to. That was low, skunk-hair."

Rogue raised an eyebrow. "Low?" she asked, an amused tone entering her voice. "All's fair in love 'n war, blondie."

Melinda narrowed her eyes. "Ranma will be mine," she hissed. "This is just a minor setback; he'll see I'm the better girl soon enough."

"Excuse me, ladies?" Both girls looked over to see Nabiki standing a few feet away from them. "I was eavesdropping on your conversation, and I thought I might offer you some information on the boy..." she smirked, "And I'll even give it to you for free."

Rogue frowned. "Ah don't want anythin' yah have ta offer." She stated simply.

"And how would you know anything about Ranma?" Melinda asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I know more than you think, Ms. Frost," Nabiki said with a smirk, "Living with the boy for over a year will teach you quite a bit about him, after all. Now," she said, cutting off the questions both girls were about to ask, "has Ranma told either of you about his... engagements?"

"Engagements?" Melinda asked, raising an eyebrow.

"As in, plural?" Rogue added, her curiosity now peaked. Aside from his training trip, Ranma hadn't been very eager to talk about his life before coming to mansion. Could this have something to do with the girl problems he'd accidentally let slip out in several occasions?

"Yes, plural," Nabiki said. Normally she wouldn't be giving away such information for free, but the week had been extraordinarily profitable for her. And for some reason, she felt like aiding the pigtailed boy in this matter. Nabiki didn't feel generous often, but she had learned to go with it when the feeling came; it usually led to greater profits later on. "Ranma-kun, before he came here, was engaged to three women. Before you ask, no, he wasn't playboy or womanizer or anything of the sort; all three were arranged marriages, all his father's doing."

Melinda frowned, "Does this mean," she bit her lip nervously, "that he has someone back in Japan?" Is that why he resisted her advances?

Nabiki shook her head. "Nope," she replied, "he didn't have any feelings beyond friendship for any of them. Which brings me to the reason why I'm telling you all of this in the first place." She looked both girls directly. "If you want to win Ranma, don't make the mistake they did."

"And what might that have been?" Rogue asked, taking all of this information with a grain of salt; Ranma had told them all what the girl was like, but he had admitted that she never lied. She told half-truths, twisted the truth, manipulated it to her whim, but never outright lied.

"They fought over him," Nabiki said simply. "Literally. They were possessive of the boy, and whenever they saw one of the other two with him, they would get insanely jealous, a fight would start, and Ranma would usually end up in the crossfire. To put it simply, they acted like children fighting over a toy."

"So...what are you trying to say?" Melinda asked, giving the brown-haired girl a questioning look.

"That's for the two of you to figure out," Nabiki replied with a smirk. "My generosity only goes so far. But," she added, "a very bad idea would be to try and sabotage a date with the other girl. That's all I'm giving you; I've exceeded my allotment of generosity for the month already."

Nabiki turned to walk away. "You have the information now, ladies," she said over her shoulder, "what you do with it is now up to you."

Both girls leaned against the wall in tandem, considering the girl's words. After a moment, Melinda finally spoke. "I don't like you, skunk-hair."

"Yer not exactly mah favourite person either, blondie," Rogue replied.

"But if what she just told us was true," Melinda continued, "Then fighting like those other girls will only hurt both of us." She pushed off the wall and moved to stand across from Rogue.

"What I'm proposing," She continued, "is a minor truce. No sabotaging any dates, no tailing, nothing of the sort."

Rogue looked at her for a moment, then gave a curt nod.

"Don't go think this little competition is over though, skunk-hair," Melinda continued, narrowing her eyes. "Ranma will choose me in the end." She turned away, flipping her long blond braid over her shoulder, adding begrudgingly, "Enjoy your date, skunk-hair. It'll be the last one you have with him."

* * *

Ranma sighed as the coach walked off. He had no interest in joining any school sports; he simply didn't see any challenge in it. But the man was persistent, practically begging Ranma to join track or soccer or anything, really. Ranma had finally managed to get away by promising that he'd think about it. 

Heading towards the locker room, Ranma put aside the annoyance of the school's athletic program and recalled what had happened earlier. After barely surviving the dreaded Executioner, Jean had met up with him in the hall and told him the nullification had worn off only a few minutes prior, although it had remained in effect for the entire exam. Which meant the effect of the technique - which really needed a name, now that Ranma thought about it, despite the fact that he had no intention of ever yelling it out - lasted for around an hour, give or take a few minutes. A good amount of time, long enough to finish just about any fight he might get into; now all he had to do was figure out how to use it as a projectile...

Entering the locker room, Ranma showered quickly and got dressed for his date with Rogue. He knew it was date; he wasn't the brightest or most observant person, he knew that, but he wasn't quite as oblivious as people might think. He knew the goth girl liked him - after the kisses she had given him, he'd have to be stone-dead not to realize it.

If he were back in Nerima, he'd be panicking right now. If he had ever dared to ask a girl out back there, fiancée or not, he would never have survived until the end of the date. The others would have shown up, a huge fight would have broken out, and numerous people - him especially - would have gotten hurt for no reason other than the petty jealousy and possessiveness of his fiancées. Not to mention if he showed any sort of real interest towards any of the girls, he'd have been dragged before an alter before he had time to think about objecting.

Now, though, he was finally free to do what all teenage boys wanted to do - flirt, date, and attempt to score. Although the last part he wasn't so sure he was ready for, the first two he knew he definitely was. And with no crazy, violent, jealous women to disrupt his efforts, there was no reason everything couldn't go smoothly.

Ranma rapped his knuckles against a wooden bench as he thought this. No sense tempting fate, after all.

The date with Melinda had been enjoyable, although he didn't think he liked the girl as much as she seemed to like him. Oh, she was smart, gorgeous, and fun to hang out with; likely the ideal type of girl for any guy in this school. But she reminded him a little of a toned-down Shampoo, especially with how she clung to his arm the way she did. Still, she was fun to spend time with, but he couldn't see himself with her in any kind of a relationship beyond just being friends.

Rogue, on the other hand...

Ranma flashed the goth girl a smile as he exited the locker room, feeling a small twinge inside him when she returned the smile with one of her own. "So," he said in greeting, "what are we gonna do on this little date?" He failed to hold back a large grin as her eyes widened.

Rogue blinked. He knew it was a date? He was oblivious to the fact when Melinda asked him out, but he knew it this time? Shaking her head to clear it, she smirked at him as they began walking out of the school. "Well," she said, "what do you like ta do? Besides martial arts."

Ranma blinked. "Didn't we have a conversation like this before?"

"Yep," Rogue said, casually slipping off her glove, "Back when yah first got here. Do yah have any different answers ta tha question now?"

Chuckling nervously, Ranma rubbed the back of his head. "Um..."

Rogue grinned widely, stepping in front of him and poking a finger into his chest. "Ah thought not," she said, gently tracing the finger up his chest and under his chin. "Which means Ah get tah do what Ah said Ah'd do." Her finger trailed up his cheek, and she smiled softly at the feel of his skin against her own.

"A-and what was that again," Ranma managed to stutter out. Damn, for a girl who doesn't usually get close to people, she seemed remarkably adept when she did...

She leaned in close, her eyes half-lidded as she gave him a smoky gaze. "Give yah somethin' else ta be interested in..." She whispered softly, leaning in close, her breath brushing against his skin as she spoke. He held back a small shudder as his nostrils involuntarily inhaled an unfamiliar yet wonderful scent from her hair.

Ranma's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. They were still on school grounds, what was she planning on doing? Any of the others could come across them at any moment; hell, his MOM could be watching them! "O-okay," he stuttered again, his mouth working without input from his brain.

Rogue leaned in even closer, brushing her lips against his as she spoke "Good... let's get goin' then!"

Ranma blinked as she suddenly vanished from his face and he found himself being pulled along down the street, his hand now in Rogue's. "Uh," He managed to say as he regained control of his mind, "Where we goin'?"

Rogue flashed him a grin over her shoulder. "Atomic Records," she said, "Tha new Skinny Puppy album comes out today, an' Ah been meanin' ta pick up a copy of Betty X's 'Memoirs of a Pain Junkie' fer months now."

Ranma blinked again. "Ya mean ya meant actual interests?" He said, unable to keep a hint of disappointment out of his voice. "It wasn't just innuendo?"

She squeezed his hand and hooked her arms around his, slowing the both of them down to a reasonable pace. "Yeah," she said, then added after a moments thought, "Fer now, anyway."

* * *

Scott arrived back at the mansion, driving alone for what seemed like the first time in months. Rogue and Ranma were off on their date, he assumed, and Jean had gotten a ride from that jerk boyfriend of hers, Duncan. Kurt and Kitty had never shown up, which meant they were still MIA, a fact that had a him a little worried. 

Entering the mansion, he absently scratched at one of the gopher bites on his arm; he was definitely going to have to get Ranma back for that torture session this morning. Maybe Kurt would be willing to let him in on the next prank against the pigtailed boy...

"Hey Scott," Kurt said tiredly as he walked past the taller boy.

"S'up Kurt,"Scott returned absently, his mind distracted by various methods of minor revenge. If only one of them were capable of creating ice, then he - waittaminute, Kurt?

"Kurt!" Scott exclaimed, spinning around and catching up to the blue-furred boy. "Where have you been all day?"

"Canada," Kurt replied tiredly. That fight with Sabertooth had really taken a lot out of him, and he wanted a nap.

Scott blinked behind his shades. "Canada?" He repeated, "What were you doing in Canada?"

Kurt shook his head, opening the door to his room. "Long story, mein freund." He said, "Go ask Kitty or the Professor. I am needing sleep." He staggered into the room and collapsed into his bed, too tired to even teleport.

Scott scratched his head and turned away to look for either of the people Kurt had suggested asking. He had a feeling something rather big had happened.

* * *

Nabiki sat in her room at the Brotherhood house in front of her laptop, going over the profits of the past week. While she was easily capable of doing this without her computer, she found it somewhat therapeutic to actually go through the records in the old-fashioned way. 

The profits from various picture, test, and bootleg CD/DVD sales was amazing; it easily dwarfed what she had made in her most profitable month at Furinkan, and she hadn't even had to blackmail anyone. Not that she hadn't already started collecting information, but she found she didn't need to do anything with it yet, if ever. These American kids carried more money on them than they even needed, and seemed willing to spend it on anything.

But summer vacation was coming up, which meant no school for three months. Which meant profits would dwindle with the lack of students to sell things to. Not that it mattered, really; her bi-weekly paycheck from Mystique was more than she made off the students. But that wasn't the point; she only kept up her old money-making activities for the pure fun of it, anyway.

Those who knew Nabiki well would say her main motivation in life was money. That wasn't wrong, but it wasn't exactly right either. Rather, Nabiki had three motivations in life: money, amusement, and getting even with people who impeded her when it came to the first two.

It was the second motivation that made her worried about summer break. Lack of customers meant lack of sources for amusement as well; no drama-inciting information could be sold, as she wouldn't see very many of her usual customers in the three-month period. No people around to delve into the heads of to get such information, or to find out who might want to know it.

Oh, sure, she could have some fun with the X-Men; she especially wanted to tangle with that redhead again, although that was more because of motivation number three than number two. But Mystique didn't seem to be planning new missions for them. At least, if she was, she wasn't telling. Pietro had mentioned something his father was planning soon, but beyond telling her she'd get a chance to go one-on-one against Grey, he hadn't been able to give her any more information. So who knows when that would happen; and even when it did, she doubted it would sate her for the entire three months.

She supposed she could have some fun messing with her teammates, but the idea didn't sit well with her. While she had only known them a few weeks, they had proven to be a fun bunch of guys to hang out with, despite their numerous less than desirable personality traits. None of her previous factors had ever tried to be friends with her, and she was enjoying the camaraderie that had begun to develop between her and her teammates. Granted, she kept files on them for future blackmail purposes, but she had relegated those to a 'only if absolutely necessary' section of her mind. She wasn't going to do anything to alienate the few friends she had managed to make in years.

Nabiki sighed, shutting her laptop. She could feel the boredom beginning to set in already. Maybe she could organize a little brawl with the X-Men on her own? There wouldn't be any profit in it, since her contract explicitly stated she would only receive bonuses for 'official' missions, but it would allow her to escape the monotony. And it could help her team get better. She had sat in on a few of the training sessions they had with Mystique every morning, and she was surprised to find they were getting pretty good. In a few more months, they might be able to keep Ranma from yawning too much during a match.

But those ideas wouldn't be feasible until after this thing Pietro's father had planned, which meant she had to wait until that happened. Which meant boredom via lack of amusement.

Looking up as the aformentioned speedster walked past her door, she got an idea. Standing up and sticking her head out into the hallway, she called out, "Yo, Maximoff."

Pietro stopped outside of his door, turning to look at her. "Yeah Nabs?"

"I'm bored." She said simply. "You wanna make out?"

Another benefit to not having to spend all her time making money to support her family that she had discovered, was that she actually had time to be a teenage girl again. A dammit, she had a lot of time to make up for in that regard. Grinning as Pietro vanished from sight and appeared behind her a split-second later, she shut the door.

* * *

Rogue smiled from her place on Ranma's arm as the pigtailed boy pressed his thumb against the identity scanner outside the gate. Seconds later, a buzz and an electronic greeting sounded, followed by the gates opening. "Ah toldja it would be fun." She said as they walked through. 

"Fine, you were right," Ranma replied, sticking his tongue out at her. In his other hand were several plastic bags. "I still don't like shoppin' though."

Rogue snorted, "Please, yah think Ah do? Most of those stores ain't got nothin' Ah want. Besides," she added, smirking, "we only went ta the book store and a coupla music shops; if Kitty had been with us, we'd have been dragged all over tha damn mall."

Ranma shuddered at the thought. "Ya gotta point," he admitted, "With that in mind, I take back any complaints I had."

"That's bettah," Rogue said. As they approached the front doors of the mansion, she suddenly pulled him to the side, along the path that led to the back of the school. "C'mon, Ah don't feel like goin' in yet."

"What about the bags?" Ranma asked, holding said bags up in his other hand.

"Drop 'em off by tha back door or somethin'," Rogue replied, "Ah wanna walk with ya fer a while longer."

Raising an eyebrow, Ranma nodded and did so upon reaching the backyard. To Rogue's pleasure, it was deserted. Walking along the pathway that led to the small forest beyond the actual yard, she leaned her head on Ranma's shoulder. The sun setting behind the trees cast the sky into a gorgeous mixture of light purple, orange and yellow, the effect increased with the clear blue sea beyond the cliffs, opposite the forest.

Ranma glanced down at the head on his shoulder and smiled despite himself. Despite his complaints, it had been a very enjoyable evening; sure, Rogue had made him spend a lot of his money on CDs, but by the time they'd left the record store, he had started to develop something of a taste for industrial music. Not to the extent the girl on his arm liked it, of course, but it wasn't unpleasant to listen to; although he had little to compare it to, admittedly. The only music he'd ever really heard was the J-Rock and imported American pop Akane and Kasumi listened to, and that crap was far more offensive to the ears than industrial.

"Ranma?"

The sound of Rogue's voice stirred him out of his thoughts. "Yeah?"

"Ah heard somethin' rather interestin' from Nabiki today," Rogue said as they walked along the edge of the forest.

Ranma blanched. He didn't like any of the avenues this could potentially lead down. "And...and what was that?" He asked nervously.

"Didja really have three fiancées?" Rogue asked, pulling her head off his shoulder and looking up at him.

Ranma sighed. Damn it, he'd been hoping to never have to tell anyone about that. Ever. "Yeah," he admitted with a frown. "Although not by choice. My pops is an idiot, let's just put it at that. I didn't ask fer none of them, and I sure as hell ain't gonna marry any of 'em."

Rogue laughed lightly; she had been worried Nabiki had been messing with her when she said he didn't care for any of them like that, but the tone in his voice confirmed it for her. "Sorry," she apologized, "Ah can tell yah don't wanna talk about 'em. Ah was just curious." She made a mental note to get more information out of him on the subject another time, however.

"No worries," Ranma said, calming down when he saw she wasn't getting angry or jumping to any conclusions, "How much did Nabs charge ya for tha info."

"Nothin'," Rogue replied. "Said she was 'feelin' generous'," she added at Ranma's look of surprise.

Ranma grimaced. "Crap," He muttered, "I always get a bad feelin' whenever Nabiki gets generous..."

He trailed off as he suddenly felt a familiar presence; he'd thought the date was going too well, and he was not surprised to see someone interrupting it. Ranma looked into the forest and frowned. "Ryouga."

* * *

Ryouga frowned as he saw his enemy look in his direction. He had happened upon this forest after several hours of wandering through Bayville, and had decided it would be a good place to practice suppressing his ki. His desire to actually have a fair, no-powers fight with Ranma had solidified, and he had planned to spend a few weeks learning to not use his extra ki, as well as brush up on his actual martial arts skills. He had let them degrade a small amount ever since he had learned the Shi Shi Hokodan, and that was a big mistake. 

Unfortunately, suppressing his ki was harder than he thought. It burned inside him, almost begging to be used or released in some manner; he had been considering firing it all off in massive blast to get rid of the temptation, but realized that would only be a temporary solution. Instead, he had spent the past few hours forcing himself to ignore his ki and the desire to use it; the emotionless state he'd been using to control it helped greatly with that, but ti wasn't enough. He had begrudgingly admitted to himself that he might have to learn the actual Soul of Ice if he was going to be successful in any way.

But now Ranma was standing not a few meters away, looking directly at him. He knew he wasn't very well hidden, and he was mentally kicking himself for not sensing his enemy earlier. He considered his options now; run, and be seen as a coward but allowing himself to prepare better, or step out and face his rival.

"Ryouga, I know your there," Ranma said, "You never were any good at hidin'."

Ryouga let out a growl as he stepped out of the woods. How dare he insult his skills! "Ranma," he snarled. "What are you doing here?"

Ranma crossed his arms over his chest. "I live here," he said simply, gesturing with his head towards the mansion further back. "What are you doin' here?"

Rogue narrowed her eyes at the bandanna-clad boy. Checking to make sure her glove was still off, she moved away from Ranma as silently as possible.

"None of your business," Ryouga replied angrily, struggling to keep his calm in the presence of the pigtailed bane of his existence; his ki flared within him, amplifying the rage he was trying to keep suppressed. "Although it is good to finally know exactly where you've been hiding; it'll be that much easier to kill you with that information." He slipped into a subtle - for him - ready position.

Ranma noticed it and moved into his own ready stance. He'd been hoping to perfect his null touch - definitely needed a better name for that - before he fought Ryouga again, but it looked like he might not have that chance. His eyes widened as he saw a familiar figure creep up behind the Lost Boy, and a warning died on his lips as the figure's hand reached out from behind and touched the other boy.

Ryouga's eyes went wide as he suddenly felt a presence behind him, but his reaction time was too slow. A hand darted in from behind and pressed hard against his cheek, and his eyes widened as he felt a horrible pain come over him, his ki slowly being drained away. After several seconds, consciousness left him and he fell to the ground in a heap.

Rogue's eyes grew wild as she felt massive amount of life energy enter her, and she nearly fell to the ground herself as she felt his powers temporarily transfer over. In the back of her mind, she suddenly recalled the nature of the boy's powers; he cold hold ten times more life energy than a human, and she had absorbed nearly all of it. Even more surprising, however, was the effect his powers were having on her; her own ki reserves expanded and filled instantly, adding to what she had taken from Ryouga!

Her head was swimming the with the massive amount of power she now had at her disposal. She struggled to contain it, using the methods shown in a few of the memories that had trickled into her as well, but they didn't help much. She looked up at Ranma, unaware of the pink aura that sprung up around her as he entered her field of vision.

"Ranma..." she said throatily, licking her lips. Damn he was fine; the memory of seeing him in the bathroom all those weeks ago came to the forefront of her mind, unbidden, and her desire surged. The massive supply of life energy within her flared with it, fueling the emotion to greater heights.

Ranma stared back at the girl with wide eyes, his ki senses screaming at him; she was holding more than even Ryouga was capable of! His breath caught in his throat when he saw the look in her eyes. He'd seen that look before, in the eyes of a certain purple-haired amazon...

Rogue walked forward with a seductive gait, her movements accentuating her form as she approached the gorgeous man in front of her. Reaching out, she slid her hands up his chest and around his back, pulling his shocked form into her tightly. "Ranma..." she said again, her voice laced heavily with desire. Moving her hands to the back of his head and tilting it towards her, she closed the distance, pressing her lips against his with such force that the pair fell to the ground.

To say Ranma was surprised was an understatement. However, it was not the kiss that surprised him, although it was a contributing factor; rather, it was the fact that despite the direct contact they had, Rogue's ki was still retaining it's massive levels. He'd expected the powers she had taken from Ryouga to vanish with her own when she touched him, but they hadn't. He tried to think on it further, but the train of thought hit a cow on the tracks, derailed, and burst into flames when Rogue's tongue entered his mouth. His libido surged as the desire he felt in Rogue's aura encompassed him, and forced it's way out of the recesses of Ranma's mind. He moved into the kiss, returning it with an equal fervor.

Rogue moaned against his lips as she moved her legs up, straddling his waist as she pressed harder against his lips, kissing him hungrily. She didn't know why she was retaining Ryouga's powers, even though her own had vanished upon contact with Ranma, and right now she simply didn't care. Rogue's desire for the man beneath her, boosted to insane levels by the massive amount of life energy she had absorbed, was surging throughout her body and practically oozing from her pores. Her hands slipped under his shirt, sliding along his perfectly sculpted chest. She shivered in pleasure as his own hands slipped under her green top, reveling in the feeling of his touch as his fingertips slid lightly along her flesh. Breaking the kiss momentarily, she stared into his eyes, her own burning with lust as she saw the desire in his own. Breathing heavily, she closed the gap between them again, kissing him hungrily as her hands tore his shirt off roughly with ki-enhanced strength. Tossing the remnants aside, she suckled on his lower lip before kissing her way down to his neck, her hands sliding along his shoulders and down his back.

Rogue felt his hands tugging at her shirt, and she pulled away momentarily. Hastily pulling the article of clothing over her head and tossing it aside, she fell forward, again capturing his lips with hers.

* * *

Xavier blinked as a strange feeling washed over him and looked up from his book, his brow furrowing. Looking around the library, his gaze met with a pair of questioning looks from Scott and Jean. "Tell me," He said slowly, "Do either of you know when Rogue or Ranma are supposed to get back?" 

"Any time now would be my guess," Jean replied, "Why do you ask?"

"Is something wrong, professor?" Scott asked, "Are they in trouble or something?" He set his history notebook down and got ready to rush into action if his mentor answered in the positive.

Xavier shook his head. "No," he answered, "Just an odd feeling. It's gone now."

"I could locate them, if you want to make sure," Jean offered, setting down her book. She was a little nervous about using her telepathy after what had happened earlier in the day, but she would do it if she had to.

"No need," Xavier said with a smile, "I would know if they were in danger, and they aren't. Besides," he added, "I don't think it would be proper to look into Rogue's mind during her date; I do not wish to invade my students privacy, especially in matters such as this."

Scott chuckled and Jean blushed faintly, the latter fighting back a small twinge of unexplainable jealousy. Nodding, the pair returned to what they had been doing.

Xavier dismissed the feeling as a flare of paternal instinct, something that had been slowly developing over the past several months; it made sense, now that he thought of it. Two of his charges were out, and it was getting late; it was only natural that he was worried about their safety, despite knowing the two were very capable of taking care of themselves.

Returning to his book, Xavier pushed the matter from his mind and focused on Harry Potter and his amusing little adventures at Hogwarts.

* * *

Down in the infirmary, Logan growled and shifted in his sleep, causing the bandage wrapped around his head to shift and loosen. 

Sighing, Tofu set down his book and stood up, adjusting the bandage for the fifth time since the surgery ended. He hadn't gotten the full story about what had happened in the Canadian wilderness that day, or why Wolverine had a chip in his brain, but Charles had promised to tell him as soon as he talked to Logan about it himself. Kitty and Kurt had given him a little information, saying it involved Sabertooth and the person who infused Logan's skeleton with adamantium, but that was all he had managed to learn from them.

Sitting back down in his chair after making certain the bandages were secure again, Tofu blinked and stared at the wall. He could have sworn he'd felt a large spike of familiar ki...

On a hunch, Tofu got up again and began preparing another bed. Better safe than sorry.

* * *

Mystique's head jerked up, her fork falling from her hand and making a loud clattering noise as it hit her plate. The rest of the Brotherhood ignored the noise in favour of watching CSI: Genosha, and thus missed the wide grin and misty-eyed expression that came over their leader's face. 

_'Manly son senses... tingling!'_ Mystique thought to herself, her yellow eyes turning to look in the direction of the X-Mansion.

* * *

Rogue's tongue was busy exploring Ranma's mouth yet again when it happened; the powers and memories borrowed from Ryouga faded away, taking the massive amounts of ki she had within her with them. She stopped suddenly, her eyes snapping open as the fuel that had her lust and desire burning brightly vanished and her senses slowly returned. 

"Oh mah god!" She declared, pulling away from Ranma from Ranma's mouth.

The pigtailed boy groaned unhappily at the loss of contact, his own eyes opening to look into hers. Slowly, his own senses returned, the overpowering aura of desire Rogue had been emitting gone and rational thought forcing his libido back. "Woah." he said intelligently, his eyes wide as he tried to figure out what had been happening.

"Yeah..." Rogue replied, staring down at the boy beneath her and biting her lip. Her mind was telling her to scramble away, to run and hide and hope he wouldn't think of her as some kind of cheap slut. Her body, however, was refusing to acknowledge the order, instead opting to keep the comfortable position it was in. Her mind tried to compromise by asking the body to at least remove her hand from where it was, but the request was shot down as well.

The pair stared at each other for several minutes, neither one moving an inch.

"What..." Ranma started, finally breaking the silence. "What... happened just now?"

"Uh..." Rogue swallowed nervously, "A-Ah'm not sure... Ah touched that jerk over there -" she gestured towards the still-unconscious Lost Boy, " - an' drained his powers an' his life force." She stopped as she recalled the borrowed memories that were slowly fading into her subconscious. "From what Ah'm able ta figure, Ryouga's ki amplifies his emotions. When Ah drained his powers, mah ki increased like his, but Ah also drained mosta his, giving me almost twice as much as he normally has." She blushed, hesitantly added, "An' then they amplified mah emotions..." she trailed off, her face burning red with embarrassment.

Ranma's eyes widened in understanding. "Huh." He said, mentally smacking himself for not saying something more intelligent. Not that he could really blame himself; as it was, his libido was trying to force it's way out of confinement, the rest of his mind occupied with trying to keep it restrained. "So, um, why _did_ you take Ryouga's powers?" Normally he would be angry about someone interfering in his fights, but given the current circumstances, anger probably wasn't the best course to take.

"Tha last time yah fought him, yah ended up in a coma fer almost a week," Rogue said softly, "Ah didn't wanna see that happen again."

"Ah, fair enough, I guess," Ranma said, nodding, "As much as I 'preciate the concern, I don't like it when people butt in on my fights. I coulda taken him."

"Don't worry," Rogue replied, shaking her head slowly, "Ah don't think I'm gonna go an' do that again, not with how it went an' turned out." She could remember everything now, and while she had enjoyed every second of it, she did not like losing control of herself like that.

Ranma nodded, not saying anything. The pair were silent again for another several minutes until Rogue spoke again.

"Ah'm sorry," Rogue apologized softly, "Ya wanted ta take it slow, an' then Ah go an' do this..." Stupid Rogue! This is something Melinda would try and do!

Ranma blinked, turning his focus from his mental battle to the girl on top of him. "It ain't yer fault," he told her, "I mean, I didn't try an' stop ya, y'know?"

Rogue smiled slyly, "Yeah, mind tellin' me why not?" She asked, hiding her own nervousness behind her teasing.

Ranma flushed the bright red and mumbled something.

"What was that?" The girl asked, leaning in closer and putting her ear near his mouth, shivering slightly as she felt his breath against it.

"I said," Ranma chuckled nervously, "'because -um - I couldn't stop myself."

Rogue blinked, then pulled back and looked at him with wide eyes, "Oh really?"

Ranma bit his lip and nodded. Rogue grinned wickedly, an uncharacteristic boldness coming over her. Leaning in close, her breasts pressing against his chest, she looked him in the eye. "So if Ah were ta continue," She said softly, brushing her lips lightly against his, "do you think you would be able to stop me?"

Ranma twitched and let out an involuntary groan at the pleasurable sensations coursing through him. She was teasing him, taking advantage of their current state, and he knew it. Well, two could play at that game. "I think I could -" he said, his hands sliding down her back and onto her rear, "- but the real question is, do I wanna?"

Rogue shivered at his touch, biting her lip to hold back her own moan. Dammit, this wasn't how he was supposed to react; not that she minded, really. Her mind was screaming at her to stop, that neither of them were ready for this, that they didn't have any kind of protection, that they were technically out in public, and a thousand other reasons. Her body, on the other hand, seemed to have switched to autopilot as she leaned in and pressed her lips against his once again, in a kiss that was hungrily returned by the pigtailed boy.

Meanwhile, in Ranma's mind, the libido had turned Super Saiyan and was ruthlessly beating down rational thought. Rational thought begged the libido to back down, giving numerous reasons why this fell into the category of 'very bad idea'. The libido finally relented - mostly to make rational thought shut the hell up - but only after making rational thought promise not to interfere the next time this happened.

"Mmm- Rogue," Ranma said, pulling away reluctantly, "we can't do this."

Rogue pouted, but nodded. "Ah know," she agreed, sighing softly and leaning back in to rest her head on his shoulder. "So..." she said slowly, "Does this change things?"

"I dunno," Ranma admitted, "I s'pose it does - yeah, it does."

"Good." Rogue said against his shoulder, smiling and snuggling against him. She almost purred when his hand reached up and started gently stroking her hair.

The two mutant teens lied there on the grass in silence for several minutes, the sounds of the wind rustling the leaves the only sound in the area. The pigtailed boy was surprised how calm he was and comfortable he was with a half-naked girl lying on top of him; he still wasn't sure if that was because he was frozen in shock or not. If he was in Nerima, with any one of his former fiancées, he would have been doing a very accurate impression of a gibbering mental patient by now. Followed by his famous impression of a guy who'd been struck violently with several blunt objects - always a crowd pleaser, that one.

"Y'know," Ranma said, coming to a realization, "We're both still half-naked."

"And?" Rogue said, too comfortable to want to move.

"Jus' sayin'." Ranma replied. After a moment, he added, "So, uh, you plannin' to take your hand outta my pants yet?"

"Nope," Rogue said, grinning.

"Oh..." Ranma said, biting his lip and closing his eyes tightly as the aforementioned hand started moving in a very pleasing manner. "Y'know..." He said, a mischivious grin coming over his face as his libido made a surprise attack, "Accordin' ta some people, it ain't technically sex if no actual intercourse occurs..."

Rogue pulled away from his shoulder and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. After a moment, she returned his grin.

Several yards away, Ryouga remained unconscious. He was lucky to be in this state, as what proceeded would have given him a fatal nosebleed.

* * *

When Ryouga finally awoke, he found himself in a bed in an unfamiliar room. The unfamiliar aspect of his surroundings wasn't new, as he'd woken up to such changes before due to his occasional sleep-walking. The bed, however, was very different. 

"Oh, good. You're awake."

Ryouga blinked and looked up at the familiar voice. "Doctor Tofu?" He asked, "So, that means I'm in Nerima, right?" He frowned, "No, that's not right, you left Nerima..."

Tofu chuckled. "No, not in Nerima," He replied, "You are in Bayville, New York, at the Xavier Institute. Ranma and Rogue brought you in after you had an... encounter with the latter's touch."

Rogue. So that was the girl's name. His most recent memories slowly filtered back into him and he winced at the memory of the pain the girl had caused when she touched him. Definitely not something he wanted to experience again. "Why'd they bring me here?"

"Ranma did not think it would be right to leave you unconscious outside," A new voice interjected. Ryouga looked over to see a well-dressed bald man in a wheelchair making his way towards his bed. He also saw another person in the room, and unconscious man with a bandage wrapped around his head lying in the bed next to his; the second man looked oddly familiar, but Ryouga couldn't place him.

"Greeting, Mr. Hibiki," the bald man greeted with a kind smile, "My name is Professor Charles Xavier, and this Institute is my home, as well as a school for people such as yourself. I have been hoping to speak with you for some time."

Ryouga raised an eyebrow. "For people like me?" He repeated, "You must mean mutants; don't tell me your going to go on an on about some stupid philosphy or ideals like that other guy did. And I have no interest in joining any sides, either."

"You must mean Magneto," Xavier replied, privately pleased that his suspicions were correct; Ryouga did not care about Erik's ideals. On the other hand, he could also tell the boy did not care about Xavier's own ideals either. "You need not worry, I will not try to force you to believe anything, only that my own mission is one of peace."

"You said Ranma brought me here," Ryouga said, ignoring the man's words. "Where is he now?"

"He is elsewhere in the mansion," Xavier replied, "Which brings me to another reason I wished to speak with you. I understand you have a rivalry with Ranma."

Ryouga scowled. "He is my enemy," he said darkly, "and the bane of my existance. Because of him, I have seen hell!"

"Yes," Xavier continued, seemingly not effected by the boy's emphatic declaration, "I understand this, and I also understand that I cannot sway you away from this course." Not without massive memory manipulation, at least, which was something Xavie rhate to do even in the most dire of circumstances. "I will ask, however, that you do not attack him while inside the Institute. If you must fight, you may do so outside or in one of the lower-level rooms that are specifically designed for that purpose. Even more importantly, I would also ask that you do not attack the other students."

Ryouga nodded in agreement with the conditions. It was this man's home, after all, and he would respect the man's rules. "Alright," he said, "No fighting inside the house, no fighting any of the other kids."

Xavier chuckled. "Thank you for your agreement on the matter, Mr. Hibiki. If you are willing to abide by these rules, I have no problem with your presence here." He knew Ryouga wouldn't stay permanently, but he could not live with himself if he did not offer a safe place to a young mutant when he could. Hopefully, in time, the boy would not think so badly of Ranma, although he held no hopes for such a thing to occur.

"I appreciate the hospitality, but I have no desire to stay here," Ryouga told the man.

"Well, in any case, you are welcome to stay for dinner," Xavier glanced up at the clock, "Which should be starting about now. Tofu, if you will -" Xavier was interrupted by the man in the other bed suddenly waking up, breathing heavily and looking around in confusion.

"- take Mr. Hibiki to the dining room, please?" he finished, wheeling himself over to the other bed.

Tofu nodded and helped Ryouga out of the bed, leading him towards the door.

"Relax, my friend," Ryouga heard Xavier calmy say to the man, "You're back at the Institute. You're safe."

"What about the kids?" The man asked breathlessly, "Are they..."

Ryouga didn't hear anymore as Tofu led him out of the room. That voice... Now he remembered; that was the man Magnus had told him to fight in the castle. What was he doing here?

Ryouga shrugged the question off as Tofu led him up the stairs. It wasn't his business what the guy was doing here. As they walked down another hall, Ranma's eyes narrowd as he saw two people approaching him. Ryouga almost charged out of instinct, only stopping when he remember the rules he had agreed to just minutes earlier; he had made a promise, and he intended to keep it. "Ranma," he growled.

"Yo, P-chan," Ranma greeted, "We were just comin' ta check on ya. Good ta see yer alright."

The girl - Rogue, Ryouga absently remembered - narrowed her eyes at the Lost Boy. Ranma nudged her with his elbow, and she rolled her eyes. "Ah'm sorry fer sneakin' up on yah an' drainin' yer powers." She half-mumbled, in a tone that showed she obviously didn't mean what she said.

Ryouga's rage burned at the sight of his rival, barely acknowledging the girls apology with a curt nod. "Ranma," he groweld again, sealing his rage away in a hastily erected emotionless void. "I challenge you. One week from now, no powers, on the edge of the forest we met at earlier."

Ranma glanced at Rogue and they both blushed deeply at the mention of the spot. Tofu raised an eyebrow at the reaction, but remained silent as he watched the confrontation.

"Yer on, pig-boy," Ranma replied, "but how do ya plan to not get lost before then? I ain't gonna wait there for ya ta find tha place."

"Because I won't be leaving that spot for the next week," Ryouga answered. "Doctor, would you be willing to escort me there? I thank you for the offer of dinner, but I'm afraid if I stay here any longer, I might 'accidentally' break one of the rules I recently agreed to." He shot Ranma a glare as he said this.

Tofu blinked and adjusted his glasses. "Um, yes - that would be no problem, I suppose. Come with me?"

Ranma watched as Tofu led the Lost Boy away. "Huh," he said, "Looks like I get to fight him after all. Which means I got trainin' ta do."

* * *

A shadowed figure grinned to himself, although the smile wasn't visible to any who might have been around to see it. Walking away from the communications array he stood in from of, the figure floated out onto a balcony, overlooking a vast arctic wasteland. 

Planting the bug on Hibiki had proven more fruitful than he had anticipated. He almost wished he had planned it, so he could take credit for the confrontation that had just occurred, but he held no such delusions; it was pure luck things had worked out the way they did. But that did not mean he couldn't turn the fight between to two to his own advantage.

In one week, his own plans would begin. Hibiki's fight with Saotome could factor in easily with his overall goal, and the winner would be brought here along with all the rest who managed to triumph over their own opponents.

"Only the strongest can be allowed into my Sanctuary," Magneto's calm and oddly metallic voice echoed across the wasteland, "And only they shall be allowed to receive the prize I offer..."

* * *

Kitty phased through the door to the room she shared with, hiding a yawn behind her hand. She hadn't taken a nap like Kurt had after they'd gotten back from Canada, and she was practically dead on her feet; phasing through so much electronic equipment, which then exploded around her, had really taken it's toll on the girl. 

Looking over at her roommate, who was pulling her green pajama top on, smiled and walke dover to her wardrobe to put her own sleepwear on. A split second later, she darted back, staring hard at Rogue and surprising the other girl.

"What are yah do-"

"Oh my god!" Kitty exclaimed excitedly, "You didn't!"

"Didn't what?" Rogue asked as Kitty ran through the door and out into the hallway. Moments later she returned, pulling Jean through the door with her, the redhead dressed in a long blue and yellow nightshirt. Both girls stopped in front of her, grinning and staring expectantly.

"Details!" They demanded simultaneously, sitting down on the floor.

Rogue blinked, a blush rising on her face as they stared at her, their expressions clearly stating they were not going to let her go to sleep without the demanded information.

* * *

End Chapter Ten

* * *

Author's Notes: My throat hurts, so someone out there please laugh maniacally for me. 

This chapter would have been out sooner, but I took a few days off to help my parents with a garage sale, spending several hours each day re-reading A Tail To Remember (by Gie, who needs to finish that story) and selling childhood memories for cigarette money. I'm kidding, of course; I have no childhood memories. I had a head injury two years ago that knocked them all out.

As some of you might be able to tell, and since I told all of you in the notes for last chapter, this chapter took place during the episode Grim Reminder. The events of said episode happened off-camera, however, and since they don't add anything to my story, I see no need to explain them any further. Go watch the episode if you want to know more.

The limish content. Some of you might be wondering why Ranma was as comfortable as he was during the incident with Rogue. Well, I sort of explained it in chapter, but I'm going to add to that explanation by revealing this: I do not follow the school of thought that Ranma is a complete idiot when it comes to sex; he is a complete idiot when it comes to dealing with women. Ranma is a teenage boy, and I don't know a single teenager in existance who doesn't want to get laid, or at least have some heavy petting and makeout sessions with an attractive member of whatever sex they prefer. I'm willing to bet that if the girls in Nerima weren't so aggressive, possessive and jealous, he would have slept with any one of them. Sex does not equal love, and form what I've learned, if you're sixteen in Tokyo, and still a virgin, something is very wrong - don't quote me on that, however. I'm not saying Ranma has had sex in this story, but what I am saying is that simply, he would have if the threat of marriage to the girl wasn't hanging over his head. Disagree with me on this if you want, I have more reasoning to back it up.

One last thing before these notes get too damn long, Winged Golden Tiger has done some fanart for Evolution 1/2, and I'm going to plug it shamelessly. Fanfiction dot net, as you all know, is stupid when it comes to posting links, so I recommened just locating her profile and clicking on the link to her DeviantArt site within. It's an excellent painting of both Ranma and Ranma-chan in their combat uniform, although Ranma looks a bit too feminine to me. Thanks again, Tiger-lady! I shall sing your praises on the street corner... well, I would if I ever left my apartment.

Oh, before I forget; the Tenchi Muyo cameo a few chapters back. It was just a cameo, nothing more. They won't be appearing in any other parts of the story, they have nothing to do with the overall story, and I don't know the series well enough outside of fanfiction to write it. At most, they'll appear in equally insignificant cameos in future chapters.

And now, for your extended reading pleasure - Ha! - I present a semi-amusing omake!

* * *

Rogue felt his hands tugging at her shirt, and she pulled away momentarily. Hastily pulling the article of clothing over her head and tossing it aside, she fell forward, again capturing his lips with hers. 

Some time later, the pair were covered in sweat, lying side-by-side on the grass, slowly coming down from the effects of Rogue's accidental ki overdose. Remnants of their torn clothing were scattered around them, and the scent of sex was heavy in the air. Both had lit cigarettes between their first and second fingers.

"Y'know," Rogue said, "That was probably tha exact opposite of 'takin' it slow an' easy'."

"Not my fault," Ranma replied, taking a drag from his cigarette, "You're the one who kept screamin' 'Faster! Harder!'"

* * *

Hehehe...I'm so damn funny.

Okay, that's all. For real this time.


	11. Chapter 11

**Evolution 1/2  
**

* * *

Disclaimer: I fired the guy who writes the funny disclaimers 'cause he was stealing pens, so don't expect any hilarity here this time. We have a new guy coming in next chapter, and he's a lot funnier. Until then, I'm just gonna say I don't own Ranma 1/2 or X-Men: Evolution

* * *

Chapter Eleven

* * *

Genma wiped a small line of sweat off of his brow and smiled as the students exited the dojo. It was a beginners class, sure, and none of them with potential that even came close to his son's level, but they were a good group of kids. his years on the road with his son had forced him to use many dangerous and downright crazy methods of training, and it was actually a relief to start teaching at a normal level again.

Of course, these students didn't need the kind of training Ranma did, nor did he have to use said training as a way to distract them from things he didn't want them to find out. He sighed; that plan had only delayed the inevitable, he realized now. Ranma had ended up learning everything he'd tried to keep him away from, and had gotten tangled up in this stupid conflict. He was foolish to try and go against Destiny's vision, but at the very least the plan had made Ranma a fighter with few equals, which would undoubtedly help him in the times to come.

PIcking up a broom, Genma began sweeping the dojo floor. It wasn't really necessary, but he enjoyed the zen aspect of it, using the repetitive motions and soft 'swishes' of the broom to clear his head. Kasumi was making sukiyaki tonight, he remembered, licking his lips in anticipation. That was another benefit of his cleaning; it kept Kasumi from having to do at least one more chore, which meant she could get the cooking done sooner.

The Tendo family had settled down quite a bit with Ranma and Nabiki both gone. Akane, of course had been angry at the disappearance of the former for quite some time, but had managed to calm down after the first two weeks. Genma didn't know why, exactly, but the absence of his son had diffused much of the girl's anger, and if he didn't know any better, he'd say she was beginning to emotionally mature a little bit.

Setting the broom against the wall as he finished his task, Genma stepped outside, breathing in the cool evening air as he removed his pipe from his gi. Packing some tobacco into it, he lit it up with a small burst of ki and inhaled, savouring the flavor and sighing in contentment.

Kasumi had been surprised and pleased with the change of attitude it in her father, especially when he insisted she stop doing all the housework. Soun had told her, and Genma had agreed, that there were three other people in the house that could help take care of it, and his eldest daughter needed to get out of the house more and start living her own life.

The eldest Tendo daughter had tried to protest, saying she didn't mind, but Soun had been adamant. She had put aside her dreams and personal life for far to long, and he wanted to see her live for herself. Despite her protests, Kasumi had been thrilled, although she insisted on being the one to cook the family's meals - Genma and Soun had agreed with that, despite Akane's assurance that she could take care of it. It was barely a day later she had come home and told them she had registered at the local community college, although she hadn't yet decided what she wanted to study. It was more the idea that she had the chance to do it that made her sign up; which area she would go into could come later.

Genma's train of thought was broken as he spotted something in the sky. Frowning, he adjusted his glasses and squinted his eyes, attempting to get a better look at it. It appeared to be coming this way...

Genma sighed miserably as the shape resolved itself into an unfortunately recognizable large silver orb. Great, just great. Eying it as it landed before him, he wondered which one of Erik's other pawns was going to come out. Sage? Kocho?

A section of the orb pulled back with several metallic clangs, forming a curved-diamond opening in the top. Steam hissed as it made it's way into the air. Genma waited several seconds, but no one stepped out.

Approaching cautiously, he peeked inside. No one was there. "Ah, crap," He said with a resigned frown as he realized what this meant. Seconds later, several mechanical tentacles came out, grabbing him around the waist and pulling him inside. The opening closed above him, and he sat down in the dark enclosure, still smoking his pipe as he felt the orb lift into the air. Dammit, couldn't Erik just send him a plane ticket or something?

His stomach grumbled loudly, and he came to a horrifying realization; he was going to miss Kasumi's sukiyaki now! "Damn you Erik!" He muttered, "The least you could do is send along some snacks when you forcibly abduct people with your stupid flying metal balls!"

Seconds later, Akane entered the dojo wearing her yellow training gi. "Uncle Saotome?" She said, smiling as she came in, "I thought we could have a little session before din- Uncle Saotome?" The short-haired girl looked around the room. She was certain he was in here. Sighing, she began practicing the kata the father of her former fiancée had shown her the other day.

* * *

Ranma sat in the bleachers during his Phys Ed class, his eyes riveted on the clock that hung upon the door above the entrance to the locker rooms. Twenty minutes to go.

"Is it just me," He muttered to the girls sitting next to him, "or is that clock actually movin' so slow it's goin' backwards?"

Kitty giggled. "It does seem like it, doesn't it?" She agreed. It was the last day of school, and thus every single class, after giving out the final grades, had given the students free periods to socialize and say various 'goodbyes' and 'see you next years'. It was finally last period, and all through the school, eyes were riveted on the nearest time-keeping devices. "I don't even know why they're making us come today. It's like, they're trying to keep us here as much as possible."

"I know what you mean," Melinda agreed as well, "Summer vacation could not be any slower in coming, and the school isn't helping by making us stay the entire class period. What do you guys plan on doing over the break?" She asked, planning to lead into the question she'd intended to ask Ranma all week.

"I dunno," Kitty said, frowning slightly as she sensed Melinda was taking this somewhere. While Kitty had no problem with the blond girl, Melinda was actively pursuing Ranma, and thus interrupting Kitty's plans to hook him up with Rogue. Plans, which as of six days ago, had finally borne fruit. She still couldn't believe Rogue and Ranma had done _that_; as far as Kitty was concerned, the two were an official couple now, and Melinda was trying to break them up.

"Probably just hang around the mansion. We don't get time off from the Institute." She added, keeping up the cover story that the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters was an intense, year-round exclusive school.

Melinda bit her lip. "Then I don't suppose-" she started, looking at Ranma, who's eyes were still glued to the clock, "- you'd want to come with me to Boston for the summer, to visit my cousins?"

Ranma blinked. "Boston?" He repeated, "I - uh - don't think that's a good idea." He answered, hastily adding, "I mean, like Kitty said, tha Institute don't let us take much time off."

Melinda stuck out her lower lip, shifting into her irresistible cute puppy-dog look. "Are you sure, Ranma?" She asked, "You can't find some way to get them to let you go? Not even for a weekend? I'm gonna miss you all summer if you don't come and visit! Boston is such a fun city, and I just know you'll love my cousins and they'll love you." _Not too much though_, she added mentally, _or I'll have a bunch of Frost's to put on ice._

Ranma chuckled nervously at the sight of the pouty lip and puppy-dog eyes. Damn, why he hadn't made himself immune to this female technique too? "Sorry, Mel," he said, turning his eyes towards the clock again and away from her face. If he couldn't see it, it wasn't there. "It sounds fun, but I can't do it. Got obligations an' stuff here." With his head turned away from the girls, he missed Kitty's triumphant smirk and Melinda's puppy-dog face transform into a look of dismay.

Since the night of his... activities... with Rogue, Ranma had been trying to find a way to let Melinda know he wasn't interested in her in any way. Unfortunately, the girl was determined, and like she said the night of their date, she wasn't willing to give up. He had a feeling if he told her what had happened, she would just increase her efforts.

Melinda sighed, mentally cursing up a storm. She hadn't been expecting the boy to come with her, but she had held onto a small hope that maybe he would. She had to find a way to keep him from being alone with skunk-hair all summer; something had happened between them recently, she just knew it by the looks they'd been giving each other lately, and she was certain she'd glimpsed them sneaking a kiss before class the other day.

Something major had happened, and Melinda had a good idea what it was. They'd fucked, which meant Melinda's current chances with the boy had been drastically reduced. She refused to believe that she was out of the running, however; she was a Frost, and a Frost was never out of the running.

But in order to stay in the race, she realized she might have to make a strategic withdrawal for a bit. So she would spend three months away from the man of her dreams; she would live through it. And when she came back, she would go on the offensive; she was certain she could convince Emma to come back with her. With her cousin's intelligence, Melinda was certain they could figure out a way to break any ties between Ranma and skunk-hair, and she would be able to swoop in and win her man.

Still, that didn't mean she had to spend her entire summer idle. Pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket, she quickly wrote down a ten-digit number. "Here," she said with a smile, putting it in Ranma's hands, "You can at least call me, let me know how things are going, y'know? You can do that, right?"

Ranma looked down at the number and sighed as he put it in his pocket. "Yeah," he said, giving in, "I think I can manage that." Hopefully the blond girl would meet someone else over the summer, and would consent to just being friends. Knowing his luck however, that wasn't likely.

Looking back up at the clock yet again, he leaned into Kitty, whispering, "You think I can spontaneously develop tha power ta speed-up time if I think hard enough about it?" Hearing her giggle, he turned back to the clock and concentrated as hard as he could; who knows, it could happen.

* * *

The final bell rang, the doors of Bayville High flew open, and like a dam being burst, a flood of vacation-eager students flowed out.

"Hot damn!" Ranma declared, pumping his fis tin the air as he practically flew out of the school, "Three solid months of freedom! I take back anythin' bad I ever said 'bout tha American school system!"

Racing to Scott's car, he hopped into the back seat next to Rogue, landing with his arm around her shoulders. "C'mon, Summers," he said impatiently, "Start up the car and get us tha hell outta here!"

Jean rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself. "Patience, Ranma," she said. "We just have to wait for Kurt and Kitty."

"Little bro's 'portin' back and Kitty's goin' with him," Ranma countered, "An' I'd rather not have to see this dump any longer than I havta! Drive! I gotta get some more trainin' in before my fight with P-chan t'night."

"Cool down, man," Scott said with a grin, starting the engine and pulling out of his parking space. "You won't have to see the place for three months, and then it'll be your, mine and Jean's last year here. Then you'll never have to see the place again."

"If he makes it through senior year," Jean teased, "I don't even know how you managed to make it through the first three, come to think."

Rogue looked over at her sort-of boyfriend with a questioning look. "She has a good point," She said, "You told us you were on a trainin' trip for what, ten years? How did yah manage ta make up alla tha classes?"

Ranma opened his mouth to answer, then shut it with an audible snap as confusion dawned on his face. "I got no idea," he admitted. "Furinkan just put me in tha Sophomore class when I showed up 'cause I was the right age for it."

"That still doesn't answer how you made up all the classes," Scott pointed out, "I mean, no offense, but you're not exactly the most dedicated of students."

"I ain't as dumb as people think," Ranma replied, "I can memorize an' bullshit my way through a course easy as tha next guy. 'specially with no one tryin' ta kill me or drain my ki during class."

The other three chuckled at that, recalling the stories he had told them about the fights he'd gotten in at his old school, as well as his former English teacher.

* * *

Back in the parking lot, the Brotherhood, sitting in Lance's jeep, watched as their rivals left the school.

Once they were out of sight, Nabiki turned to Lance. "Alright," She said, "Where's Toad? We have to get back to the house and prepare."

"I dunno," Lance said with a frown, eying the open doors to the school. "Ain't seen him since lunch."

"Said he was gonna go ambush one of 'em," Freddy said helpfully from the back seat, "I think he was gonna go after Jean and try ta take her down."

Nabiki narrowed her eyes. "What?" She asked with a tone of cold anger, "He knows that girl is mine..." Opening her link to the absent member of the team, she found him a few miles away, likely outside Xavier's mansion. '**Toad!' **she yelled angrily in his mind.

* * *

In the bushes outside the Institute, Toad nearly jumped when he felt Nabiki's voice in his head. '**Uh...hehehe, heya sweetums, what can I do for ya?'** he asked nervously.

'**You can start by getting the hell back to the house,'** Nabiki replied, her cold tone of voice making Toad shiver, '**I told you before, Grey is mine. She's out of your league anyway.'**

Todd frowned, still keeping an eye out for the arrival of his prey. '**I can take her,'** he answered back, '**I'm sure of it. And you know the rules, yo, you can't call dibs.'**

Nabiki growled through the link, and less than a second later Todd felt a bolt of pain flash through his mind. Clenching his teeth to hold back a scream that would give away his hiding spot, the pain became too much for him and he soon passed out.

* * *

"Dammit," Nabiki declared as she felt the link go dead. "Put too much power into the blast. Okay," she said, turning to her teammates. "Change of plans. Take me to Xaviers, then you guys get back to the house until Mystique gives you the signal."

Lance nodded and steppe don the accelerator, peeling out of the parking lot at a speed definitely not safe for city driving.

Nabiki rubbed the bridge of her nose. It looked like she was going to have her fight with Jean sooner than planned. No matter; she would beat the girl, and then she would get her promotion.

* * *

Ryouga sat in the same spot he had been sitting in for nearly a week now, meditating as he forcefully worked on suppressing his ki. It had gotten much easier since the first time he tried it, but it still required a lot of concentration. More concentration than he could spare in the middle of a fight.

He supposed he could swallow his pride and accept Ranma's offer to use that 'Null-Touch' technique he'd been developing, but Ryouga still needed to learn this. If he could keep his energy reserves suppressed, they would be that much easier to control. But since it didn't look like he was going to be able to master it before the fight tonight, he'd have to accept that half-man's offer.

Opening his eyes and slowly rising to his feet, Ryouga kept his ki suppressed as much as he could while he began a warm-up kata. Ryouga didn't technically study Anything-Goes, as he had not been instructed by any of the three masters of the style, but his own method of fighting was remarkably similar. It was almost entirely self-taught, incorporating the instruction of every martial arts master he had encountered in his travels and thought he could learn something from. It didn't have as wide a variety as Anything-Goes, since Ryouga didn't know the secret to mixing the styles as fluidly as the actual students of the style did, but he didn't care. His self-created style was still very effective against the majority of opponents, combining dozens of Arts which emphasized strength as well as his slightly unorthodox weapons.

Blinking as he heard a noise behind him, Ryouga turned around to see a strange metal orb. His eyes widened angrily as he saw said metal orb had crushed his tent.

Waitta second... metal orb? Metal, appearing out of nowhere? Ryouga narrowed his eyes. "Magnus." he muttered darkly.

Not even waiting for whatever the orb was supposed to do, Ryouga leaped forward with his index finger outstretched. "BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" He declared as his finger poked the metal sphere, although the declaration wasn't necessary; Ryouga just liked to yell.

Immediately after touching it, he ran away from it as far as he could without his directional curse kicking in. His past experiences using this technique on metal had shown him sticking around to wait for the metal to explode was a very bad idea. Less than a second after he'd touched it, the metal began rippling and groaning, and then exploded, firing shards of metal in every direction.

"Feh," Ryouga said, brushing a strand of hair back behind his bandanna, "Bastard thinks he can get me, he's got another thing coming."

A few minutes later, he narrowed his eyes as another metal pod, identical to the first, lowered from the sky in front of him. Cracking his knuckles, Ryouga grinned; at least now he had a chance to get some decent physical training in.

* * *

"Alright, finally!" Ranma cried out happily, jumping out of the car before it even came to a stop in front of the mansion. Rogue was his arms, clutching tightly to him as he landed softly on the grass and bolted into the mansion. "Logan!" He yelled into the Insitute, "Get the Danger Room ready and prepare ta get yer ass kicked!"

Scott laughed as he pulled his car to a stop. Following Ranma's lead, he vaulted over the door. "Wooohooo! Let the vacation begin!"

"Wait," Jean called up, holding his bookbag in her hands, "You forgot your... ah, forgot it." She gave up, seeing the team leader had already made it into the mansion. Sighing, she got out of the car with a bit more dignity than her friends had managed, reaching into grab all of their bags.

Wincing suddenly, she dropped one as a flash of pain ran through her head. Dammit, the headache was back. Third time this week, too; she'd have to grab Ranma and get another null. The headaches always went away after that, and he powers would get back under control. At least this time there was no one around to accidentally hear the thoughts of.

'**I wouldn't be too sure about that, Grey,'** A familiar cocky voice said softly in her mind, followed by a small psychic blast.

"Nabiki," Jean said with a frown, '**What are you doing here?'** She asked mentally, using her telepathy to quickly locate the other girl. Walking into the forest nearby, she hastily erected a mental shield against another weak blast. At least the girl didn't seem to have gotten any better.

Coming into a small clearing, Jean saw the brown-haired girl in her uniform, sitting on the edge of a well. Next to her was Toad, lying on his back unconscious.

Network smiled at the other girl, "Ms. Grey," She said with false sweetness, "How good to see you again."

"What are you doing here, Network?" Jean repeated, readying several psychic shields.

"Business, I assure you Ms. Grey," Network replied, "Well, business and payback, but who says the two can't be related?" She gestured to the fallen figure next to her. "Toad thought he'd ambush you and get a leg up on the competition, completely forgetting that I was supposed to be the one to face you in this little challenge."

"Challenge?" Jean asked, "What challenge?" She felt a psychic blast strike one of her shield, and quickly retaliated with one of her own, which was deflected by the other girl.

Network smirked, "Merely something arranged by the higher-up of my organization," she replied, casting out with her cyberpathy and finding the network with which the mansion's defenses were run on. With some difficulty, she managed to break through the impressive security and cease control of the machines in their general area. "The boss is sorting out the best from the worst, for lack of a better term. But now is not the time for pleasantries..." she trailed off, directing one of the cannons in a nearby tree to fire on the red-haired girl.

Jean heard the mechanical whirring and managed to dodge just in a time, a pair of lasers striking the where she had been standing moments before. Falling back on her training, she seized the turret with her telekinesis and threw it into another right before it could fire at her, destroying both. Without another thought, she turned towards the other girl and let loose with a telepathic assault, bombarding Network's formidable psychic defenses with blast after blast of mental energy.

Network kept up her shield, drawing on the mental energies of her teammates through the shared network to bolster her powers. Dropping it for a split second, she sent a powerful blast of her own at the redhead, which at the same time directing another turret to fire on her.

Jean dodged the turret, but the blast proved stronger than she thought the other girl capable of, tearing through her shields and erupting painfully in her mind. Pushing it to the side, she made a quick mental note to thank Ranma for the training in increasing her pain tolerance and destroyed the turret with an invisible wave of telekinetic force. Immediately after, she grabbed the other girl with her telepathy and pushed her down into the well; she knew it wouldn't stop the girl, but it would at least give her time to get her bearings and find the others.

Breathing hard, Jean pulled herself to her feet and moved to check on theother girl; she didn't care much for Nabiki, but she didn't want to have hurt her too badly. She made it a few steps towards the well before she heard a noise behind her. Turning around, her eyes widened as she saw a large metal orb land on the ground in front of her.

Approaching it cautiously, she jerked back when she saw it open up, releasing a cloud of thick white smoke. Covering her nose and mouth in case it was poisonous, she prepared to run away when a pair of mechanical tentacles emerged, quickly grabbing her. With a shriek, Jean was pulled inside, and the sphere closed up.

Nabiki was glad someone had the foresight to build a ladder along the inside of the wall. She was grumbling to herself as she reached the top. Pulling herself up, her eyes widened angrily as she saw her opponent being pulled into a large metal orb. "Dammit!" She angrily declared, slamming her fist on the stone.

Pulling herself out of the well, the kicked Toad with her foot, giving him a small psychic wake-up call. "Let's go, Tolansky," she said through gritted teeth. "We still have another shot at this."

Toad groaned, rubbing his head as he returned to consciousness. "Heh,' he said, looking around at the damaged terrain. "I guess ya lost, sweetums." He flinched under her cold gaze. "Right, let's go." he said hastily, hopping away. Nabiki followed, angry that the redhead had managed to beat her again. Looks like they were going to go with the original plan, then. She was certain her entire team could take out Xaviers, especially without Grey helping them out.

She still had a shot at her promotion.

* * *

Far away from the Xavier mansion, and indeed the continental United States, a lone figure lay on a white surfboard several meters way from the beach, relaxing as he felt the waves softly rock him back and forth.

"Alex!" He heard a voice from the shore calling out his name. Sparing them a quick glance, Alex deliberately ignored his two friends. Hopefully they would pick up on the fact that he wanted to be alone right now; he'd apologize to them later, but right now, he had too much on his mind to talk to them. He paddled out a bit further, hoping they would get the hint.

Rolling over onto his back, he smiled as he saw them leave, barely hearing them acknowledge his desire to be alone right now. Pulling his hands out from behind his head, he yawned as he lifted into into the air, interlocking his fingers and cracking his knuckles. He winced as a burning pain shot through them, something that had been happening more and more often in the recent weeks. He hoped he wasn't developing arthritis; that would completely ruin his future surfing career.

Letting out a cry as he felt something suddenly knock him off his board and into the water. Grabbing hold of it, his head rapidly darted around to try and find the source of the collision. His eyes widened fearfully as he saw a dorsal fin poking out of the water and quickly heading towards him. Oh shit, it was a shark; what the hell was it doing this close to shore!? Frantically, he tried to pull himself up onto his board, but the shark struck, and Alex barely managed to avoid it as it took a chunk out of his board, his lost grip on it causing him to fall back into the water

Holding his breath, Alex kicked his legs to try and propel himself back to the surface faster, but the shark had other plans. Racing towards him, it's mouth open and revealing rows of the perfect razor-sharp teeth that had not changed in the killers design for countless centuries. Alex, in a desperate and admittedly ill-thought out intent to stave off the sea creature, lifted his hands in front of his face.

His hands started glowing with a bright red light, and suddenly two blasts of a red energy shot out, striking the shark in the face, causing it to back off momentarily.

Alex stared at his hands in shock; maybe that wasn't so ill-advised. he didn't have much time to ponder what had happened as he saw the shark circling around to come at him again. Holding his hands up a second time - and hoping that whatever the hell had happened would happen again - he grit his teeth. A second, even stronger pair of energy blasts erupted from his hands, striking the shark and blasting the predator back. Smoke rose from it's body as the creature shot through the water, eventually turning and floating up to the surface.

Alex belatedly realized he was still holding his breath when he felt a burning in his lung. Kicking his way back to the surface, he gasped and took in air. Falling back, he floated on the surface of the water, exhausted from the ordeal. Lifting his hands to his face, his eyes widened as he saw they were still glowing a bright red, which soon faded before his eyes.

"Woah," He managed to say after several minutes.

* * *

"I said I'm comin' pigtail!" Logan barked over his shoulder as he entered the Cerebro room. "Just give me a few minutes!"

Grumbling about over-zealous martial artists punks, Logan walked along the bridge, observing the newly completed Cerebro. It was much larger than before, and much, much more powerful, according to Charles. The room was almost a perfect sphere, with a door on one end that led down a bridge that ended in the middle of the room in a circular platform. On the platform was the system interface, where Logan could see Charles sitting. The helmet interface was on his head and he was staring intently at thelarge screen in front of him.

"I see the new Cerebro is up an' runnin'," He said as he came closer to the professor.

"Yes," Xavier said, and odd inflection in his tone. "And it has already located a new mutant."

Logan looked at the screen, which presented a boy with shoulder-length blond hair and sun-darkened skin, wearing a white sleeveless Hawaiian shirt with yellow and green flowers on it and long blue shorts. He looked to be about fifteen, maybe sixteen years old.

"A young man named Alex Masters," Xavier continued, then adding after a pause, "Formally known as Alex Summers - Scott's younger brother."

"What," Logan asked, surprised, "But I thought Scott was the only survivor of that plane crash."

"As did I," Xavier said, "And so did Scott. But it appears that is not the case. He's been living with a foster family in Hawaii all this time." He removed the helmet, turning to Logan. "Get Scott and prepare the Blackbird. And we'd best hurry," he added as Logan headed towards the door, "I have a feeling we won't be the only ones interested in this boy."

Logan nodded and headed out the door. "Sorry pigtail," He told the boy waiting out in the hall, "Gotta run and pick up a new mutant in Hawaii."

"Ah, crap." Ranma said, putting his hands in his pockets and walking off. Maybe he could convince one of the others to spar with him. Scott should have healed from the gophers enough to train with by now...

* * *

Magneto watched as the younger Summers brother made his way to the beach. Fascinating... the boy's mutation granted him the ability to fire powerful blasts of energy from his hands. Slowly and silently, Magneto lowered himself to the ground behind the boy.

The discovery of Scott's brother had forced him to put his plan into motion a day earlier than he'd originally intended, but if he waited now, Xavier would take the boy. And Magneto needed the boy to sway Scott to his side, with whom he hoped to sway Xavier's other recruits.

He approached Alex from behind, where the blond-haired boy was sitting on the beach, staring at his hands.

"Man," Alex said to himself, as he leaned back against the sand, covering his face with his hands. "What the heck's goin' on with me?"

"I know the kind of pain you're feeling, Alex," Magneto said, making his introduction. "I once had such pain myself," he continued, holding up a gloved hand.

Alex quickly scrambled to his feet, backing away from the caped man. "Wh-where did you come from?" He asked in surprise. He had thought he was alone on this beach, and he hadn't heard anyone coming.

"I've just arrived," Magneto answered pleasantly, "I came here to see you, because I know-

"You don't know nothin', man!" Alex declared, suspicious of this strange figure, "So just back off and leave me alone!"

He turned to walk away, pausing only to shoot Magneto a look and mutter the word "Creep."

Magneto had suspected a reaction like this; most people were naturally suspicious of a man appearing out of nowhere dressed as he was. He did not let it deter him. "You bones - they burn. Your hands ache. The pressure in your head." He smiled behind his helmet as Alex stopped. "I can help you." He continued," I can help relieve the pain, and I can give you the answers you've been seeking. You never have to feel pain again."

Alex turned around, "How," he asked, a suspicious note still in his voice, although Magneto could tell that he was willing to listen now. "You some kinda doctor?"

"No, Alex," Magneto answered, manipulating the magnetic fields around him and rising slowly into the air. "I am Magneto," he said, extending a hand and floating forward. "And I have come to offer you sanctuary."

Alex stared up at Magneto, considering the offer. The pain was intense, even now, but none of the doctors he'd seen had been able to tell him anything. And from the looks of it, the man seemed to have strange abilities as well, so maybe he could give him answers. "Alright," Alex said finally, "I'm listening."

Magneto smiled, landing on the ground next to Alex and putting a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Come, Alex." He said, leading him down the beach, "I have much to tell you..."

* * *

"What?!" Scott exclaimed, dropping his dufflebag. Logan had told him to come to the hangar and something about a new mutant, but this was the last thing he had expected to learn. "My little brother - Alex - he's alive!?"

"Yes Scott," Xavier answered, "Alex is alive."

"Oh god," Scott said, holding up a hand to his forehead, "I thought he was dead, or I would have been out looking for him! I SHOULD have been out looking for him, I mean, I just accepted it! Why didn't I-"

"Easy, Scott," Xavier interrupted, "Take a breath, please." He placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't blame yourself."

"But all this time..." Scott said, forcing himself to calm down. "Where's he been?"

"From what I have been able to determine," Xavier answered, "Living with foster parents in Hawaii."

"Well c'mon!" Scott exclaimed, running up the stairway and into the jet, forgetting about his dufflebag, "Let's go!"

Xavier sighed, picking up the bag and moving his chair over to the lift. He'd knew the other students wanted to come, but this seemed like something that Scott needed to encounter on his own.

The with a high-pitched 'whirrrr', the platform rose up along the stairway and into the jet. A second later, the stairway itself rose, and the Blackbird took off, just in time for the other students to run into the hanger and see it leave without them.

"Hey!" Evan exclaimed as the jet rocketed away, "What's goin' on? I thought we were Hawaii-bound!"

A puff of smoke and a 'bamf' signaled the arrival of Kurt, wearing a green Hawaiian shirt with yellow flowers, a matching green hat, sunglasses, and a pair of long black swim trunks. Under his arm was a boogie board the same colour as his fur, which was currently hidden by his image inducer.

"Here I am!" He declared with a grin," Ready to give my all to the cause!" Seeing the expressions on the faces of his teammates, Kurt looked behind him and saw a completely empty hangar. "Aww, man!"

Rogue scowled in the direction the jet had taken off. "We got totally ditched."

"No big deal," Ranma said. He hadn't really wanted to go anyway; Hawaii reminded him too much of his former principal. "Hawaii ain't that great. Just sun, beaches and ocean. All anybody does is relax; gets too damn boring."

"Right," Rogue said, rolling her eyes, "Alla that sounds jus' horrible."

"Hey, you can't blame Scott," Kitty said, "I mean, meeting a brother he hasn't seen in like, ten years? I wouldn't want a crowd either."

Ranma snorted, "Jeez, what's with all tha family comin' outta the woodwork lately?" he glanced at Evan, Kitty and Rogue. "I really hope none of ya are long-lost siblings of mine too." he looked at Rogue and added, "Especially not you."

Rogue made a face, "Oh, god, Ah hope not!" That would be too gross.

"Hey," Kurt said, snapping his fingers as an idea forming in his head, "I am thinking... Hawaii - not the only beaches in the world, right?"

The other all looked at him, wondering where he was going with this.

"Hello?" Kurt continued, seeing none of them were getting it, "Road trip anyone?"

Kitty, Rogue and Evan shot each other excited looks. "Oh, heck yeah!" Evan exclaimed. A road trip without any adult supervision? Hell yes!

"That sounds like so much fun!" Kitty exclaimed. She'd finally get a chance to wear her new bathing suit!

Ranma shook his head. "Count me out," he said, turning around. "I gotta train for my fight with Ryouga t'night. 'Sides," he added, "Water and me don't really get along to well, ya know?"

Rogue frowned for a moment, then grinned, grabbing him by the shoulder and whispering something in his ear. Ranma's pigtail stood on end and his eyes glazed over for a moment.

"On second thought," he said after coming to, "I don't havta go in the water, and beach trainin' is said to be very good for the... um... lower body." He added, "Just as long as we get back in time for my fight."

"No problem, bruder," Kurt said with a grin, clapping him on the shoulder, "You guys go get ready, I'll go and get the X-Van." he ported away.

Kitty blinked as she walked with the others. "Wait... Kurt doesn't have a license..."

Ten minutes later, a large black van pulled out of the garage. Stopping the roof retracted, revealing Kurt in the driver's seat. Next to him was Evan, wearing a white tank top and a pair of beige swim trunks, a pair of sunglasses over his eye. Behind him was Kitty, wearing a pair of round clear sunglasses with a light purple tint, a light purple short-sleeved shirt, and a dark purpled one-piece bathing suit. Next to her was Ranma, wearing a red tank top and a pair of black shorts.

"Hurry it up Rogue!" Evan called out to the girl running towards the van, who had shed her normal green and black attire for a dark blur long-sleeved shirt that cut off above the midriff, a pair of very tight black jogging pants, black sandals and black gloves. "Before Auntie O shows up and dry-docks out plans!"

Rogue stumbled as a light brown cat suddenly darted in front of her, meowing.

Ranma froze as he heard a the cry of a demon, gripping the side the edge of the door tightly and shutting his eyes tightly. If he couldn't see it, it didn't exist, if he couldn't see it, it didn't exist...

"Shoo!" Rogue shouted after the fleeing feline as it leaped into the bushes and out of sight. Opening the door and hopping into Ranma's lap, she added, "Ah hate cats," shooting the bushes a final glare.

Ranma opened his eyes, reaching out and cupping Rogue's cheek turning her head to face his. "That," he said, taking off her sunglasses and staring into her eyes, "Was possibly the sexiest thing I have ever heard anyone say..."

Rogue raised an eyebrow and leaned in closer. "Ah hate cats." she repeated, smiling slyly.

Ranma shuddered, biting his lip as he wrapped an arm around the girl's waist, pulling her in closer. "Again..." he whispered.

"Ah," Rogue said, leaning in and brushing her lips against his as she spoke. "Hate. Cats."

"Jeez, like, get a room you two," Kitty said, causing the two to suddenly look up and break out into synchronized blushes, realizing that there were other people in the van with them, and they were all giving the pair very strange looks.

"Man," Evan said, turning away, "You two have a seriously weird and disturbing relationship. Anyway, where's Jean?"

"Ah couldn't find her," Rogue mumbled, still blushing a deep red, "Left a note."

Evan nodded and Kurt started the van up again. Ranma looked at the girl in his lap. "Hey, do ya think it's safe ta sit in my lap in a movin' vehicle?" He asked.

"You'll jus' havta hold on tight ta make sure nothin' happens ta me," Rogue said with a grin, "'sides, the van only has four seats."

"Right," Ranma said, circling his arm around her waist and pulling her in close to get a good grip on her. For safety reasons, of course.

"Hey, Kurt?" Kitty asked as they waited for the gates at the end of the driveway to open, "You don't have a driver's license."

"I know," Kurt said, grinning,l "But Scott and Logan taught me how. Besides, none of you have licenses either."

"Ranma does," Evan pointed out.

Ranma snorted. "Didn't want it," he said, "But the Prof insisted since I'm 'of legal age'. 'sides, I technically failed tha test. They only gave me a license so I wouldn't destroy another car tha next time."

The group chuckled as they headed out onto the road.

* * *

Back outside the mansion, the cat poked it's head out from behind the bushes and stepped out, meowing. A soft ripple formed on it as it grew in height, changing into Mystique.

The blue-skinned shapeshifter watched the van leave and pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Change of plans," She said softly into it. "They're on the move."

"Not for long," Lance's voice said menacingly in response.

"Remember," Mystique growled, "Do not hurt Ranma or Kurt, or the punishment I gave you for your little stunt the other week will seem like a day at a health spa in comparison to what I will do to you. Got it?"

"...yeah," Lance replied meekly, "We got it."

"I mean it!" Mystique told them angrily. "I still have plenty of Cabbage Patch dolls and razorwire..." She smiled cruelly as she actually felt all five of them shiver through the communicator. Letting the threat hang, she turned around, dropping the communicator behind her.

This was it; the beginning of the culmination of her plans. Magneto was testing all of them, and those who won would be given the prize. Full evolution; the powers of the winners would be enhanced to levels impossible to attain without the device he had created.

And when she got her prize, she would kill the bastard for everything he had done to her and her children.

She scowled darkly. She hated that man, almost as much as she hated Xavier; but he was a useful ally at the moment, so she put up with him. But once she had her reward - which she shouldn't even have to be fighting for, after all she'd done for the man - she would have her revenge. Genma would be freed from hold Magneto had over him, her team would answer to her and only her, and she would be the one to lead mutantkind into the future.

Shifting back into a cat, she made her way inside the mansion to await her opponent.

* * *

Tofu sat at the edge of the pool, enjoying the rare silence that had engulfed the mansion. The Professor, Logan and Scott had gone to Hawaii to find Scott's recently located brother and the other students were off on a secret road trip they didn't think anyone knew about. Ororo would be returning from her vacation later today, but until then, it seemed as if he had the mansion to himself.

Taking advantage of his alone time, Tofu let his mind wander. He loved Bayville and the mansions, as well as all of the students, but he still felt a twinge of longing to return to Nerima. Not that he cared that much about his old clinic, although it had been a nice little place, but because of the lack of one particular visitor to that clinic.

Kasumi...

He was making progressl he no longer when nuts when he said her name, or when someone else said her name, but the mere thought of the beautiful young woman made his glasses fog up, and he had to force himself to remain in control. He still had a lot of work to do before he was ready to see her again.

In the meantime, however, he felt he was making a difference here. He owed Charles a lot; the man had found him all those years ago after his powers had developed, and had helped him learn to control them. He had helped Tofu accept who he was, and had encouraged him on his desire to study medicine, even going to far as to write several letter of recommendation for him. Tofu didn't know why the man had been so kind to him back then, but he understood now. Charles was one of those few people who genuinely cared about others far more than he cared about himself; it was one of the base reasons behind the man's dream. He wanted a world where everyone could be at peace with each other, even to the point where he was willing to die to ensure that peace.

Tofu believed in Xavier's dream, although sometimes he found his own confidence in it wavering, especially with mutants like Mystique and Magneto out there. Not to mention the reactions he'd gotten from the few people he'd told about his powers - his own father had practically disowned him when he found out. But despite his occasionally wavering resolve, Tofu did everything he could to help. He wasn't a fighter, despite his training in the art, and thus didn't join in on the combat missions - technically, he wasn't even an X-Man. But his medical skills and powers had been of great help to everyone in the mansion on more than one occasion.

Tofu blinked as a large metal sphere descended form the air on the other side of the pool. Taking off his glasses, he cleaned the lenses against his shirt and put them back on yep, still there. Standing up, and suddenly wishing he wasn't so alone in the mansion right now, he slowly approached the sphere as it opened up, white steam hissing from it. He could almost make out a figure within...

"Dammit Erik," he heard a gruff and familiar voice mutter from inside. "Told him I wasn't gonna go with his stupid plan, but did he listen to me, of course not..."

Tofu squinted, leaning in. "Genma?" He asked incredulously.

The figure pulled himself out of the sphere and blinked. "Doctor Tofu?" Genma asked in an equally surprised tone.

* * *

"Awww, man," Rogue said happily, closing her eyes and tilting her head back against Ranma's shoulder. "You feel that ocean breeze?" She asked, thrusting out her chest as she stretched her back against her comfortable seat. 

Said comfortable seat did not respond, as he was currently occupied staring down the cleavage Rogue's stretching had exposed.

"Ah feel like Ah been goin' inta meltdown, all covered up like this," Rogue continued, pulling back the sleeves of her shirt. Glancing over her shoulder, she shot Ranma a coy look. "An' what are you lookin' at, mister?"

"Yeah?" Kurt asked from the front seat, sparing a moment to glance back at her. "You should try being blue and furry; it's murder!" he declared, deactivating his image inducer.

"Kurt!" Kitty declared leaning forward and pointing ahead of them "The road! Look out!"

Kurt grabbed the steering wheel and swerved to avoid the asphalt suddenly bursting upwards in front of them. His swerving made a wide arc, taking out the guard fence on the edge of the road and almost going over the edge of the cliff. The five in the car jerked forward as the felt and impact, then again when they felt another, even hard one. Ranma tightened his grip on Rogue, who responded by increasing her hold on him.

"Vhat is going on!?" Kurt demanded, trying to get the van back under control.

Kitty spared a glance behind them, her eyes widening as she recognized the familiar jeep, as well as the passengers within it. "It's Lance Alvers and the Brotherhood!" she exclaimed.

The ground suddenly shook beneath them, and the pavement splintered and split into large chunks, sending the van up into the air for a moment as the eruption suddenly thrust the back wheels off the ground. Kurt barely managed to keep control of the vehicle when they landed, pushing down on the accelerator in an effort to outrun them.

"I'll slow 'em down!" Evan declared, leaning out the side and shooting dozens of spikes out of his forearm and at the jeep. Many of them bounced off when they hit the metal while some embedded themselves in the headlights. None of them, however, managed to hit the tires he was aiming for. Ranma frowned as he saw this; he would have shot a ki blast, but he was too busy holding onto Rogue and making sure she didn't go flying.

More shaking occurred, and a large pile of rock further up collapsed in front of them. Kurt swerved in a wide arc, going over the side of the road and landing on a small dirt path that led down to the beach below. The blue-furred mutant attempted to regain control of the swerving vehicle, then immediately slammed on the brakes when he saw Blob standing further down the road. The car stopped immediately as it struck the massive teen, who crossed his arms and gave them a sneer.

"Come here often?" He taunted.

The jeep stopped behind them, and Lance stood, the rest to the Brotherhood with him. "Let's party," Avalanche said, his voice dripping with menace.

"Heh,"Toad said, "Five of us an' five of you. Didn't think we'd get such good odds."

Blob didn't hesitate as he grabbed the van, lifting it up and shaking the X-Men out onto the sand. Ranma immediately leaped to his feet, flipping back to gain some distance between them as Avalanche stepped forward.

Raising his hands, Avalanche created seismic waves and manipulated the sand to quickly shift and cover the other team as they sank into the ground. Ranma's eyes widened in fear as he watched this.

"Well," Network said as the eyed the place where the X-Men had been standing, "That was easy."

"Yeah," Toad said with a grin, "Didn't take too long at all. Only got one more left," He gestured towards Ranma.

Ranma snarled at the Brotherhood, and was about to attack when he saw a familiar puff of smoke behind them, quickly resolving into Rogue and Kurt. The latter leaped forward and tackled Avalanche to the ground while Rogue did the same to Toad. Rushing in, Ranma grabbed Toad out from under the girl and threw him against the cliff face.

Helping her up quickly, he saw Kitty and Evan phase out of the sand a distance away.

Pietro grinned when he saw his rival was not yet down for the count. "Time ot prove yourself, Evan!" He said, racing forward and shoving the boy back into the sand.

Kitty gasped, turning when she heard the thundering footsteps of the Blob behind her. "And you're staying behind!" he yelled, leaping into the air in an attempt to bodyslam her.

Kitty quickly ran out of the way, yet was knocked to the ground by the resulting shaking of the Blob landing behind her. "Staying behind from what?" She asked, pushing herself back to her feet. Looking up, she saw Network standing before her, smirking.

"Nighty-night," She said, and Kitty suddenly felt pain burst in her mind, quickly overwhelming her. She soon dropped to the ground, unconscious.

Meanwhile, Kurt was teleported away to dodge a punch from Avalanche, reappering right behind him with a kick to the other boy's back, pushing him forward. Another teleport, and Kurt was directly in front of him again, grabbing him under the arms and throwing him over his shoulders and into a large pile of rocks.

Avalanche growled angrily as he pulled himself back up. Placing a hand on the rocks and stomping on the ground, he sent two simultaneous seismic waves through the area, one causing the rock pile next to him to collapse, the other throwing Kurt off his feet from below. Kurt barely had time to teleport before the rocks hit where he was standing. Unfortunately, he bamfed out right underneath another rock outcropping, which avalanche quickly pulled over onto him. Dodging out of the way, he miscalculate dhis leap and was struck by one of the falling boulders.

Ranma lazily dodged Toad's rapid-fire tongue strikes, yawning to himself. Idly, he snatched Toads tongue as it flew towards his again. Pulling the other boy in by the prehensile organ, Ranma tugged hard. Toad made an involuntary flight towards his opponent, his face impacting with Ranma's outstretched foot.

Blob pulled himself up off the ground, angry that his target had managed to get away. Looking around, he felt something touch his bare shoulder and his world exploded in pain. His only thought before he passed out were that this hurt worse than the last time the girl had touched him.

Rogue made a disgusted face as she pulled her hand back, slipping her gloves back on. She hated touching that boy; now she had an intense craving for an anchovy and spinach pizza.

Evan clenched his teeth as he tempted to throw barrage after barrage of spikes at the boy who was literally running circles around him. Quicksilver was too fast for him to take by himself. Growing a long spike, he dropped to the ground and attempted to catch the speedster in the legs with it, but Quicksilver managed to hop over it easily, his speed not going down in the slightest.

"Nice try, but I gotcha beat and you know it Evan!" Quicksilver taunted his rival as he increased the speed, kicking up sand as he ran. Within seconds, Evan was buried up to his neck in sand, struggling to pull himself out.

Ranma leaped to Rogue side and slipped into a ready position, staring down the remaining three members of the Brotherhood. "Alright, which one of ya is next?" He growled.

Avalanche held up his hands, "Relax, Ranma," He said, "It's over."

"Yeah, right," Rogue said, glaring at them.

"No, really," Network said with a grin, thrilled that she had managed to get her promotion after all. "Out of the original ten, only the five of us are left standing. We win."

"Win what?" Ranma asked. "What the hell are ya talkin' about?"

Quicksilver grinned and turned, pointing up into the sky behind them. Following the gesture, Ranma and Rogue stepped back as they saw five metal orbs flying towards them.

"A large metal ball?" Ranma said, making a face as they came in for a landing in a neat row, "I don't want a large metal ball. I hope ya kept tha receipt."

"That's not the prize, Ranma-kun," Network said, rolling her eyes as the large metal orbs each opened up. "They're what is going to take you to the prize."

Ranma eyed the orbs suspiciously. "And if I don't wanna go?" he asked as he watched Avalanche, Network, and Quicksilver step into one each. He leaped back as a pair of mechanical tentacles came out of the remaining two orbs and shot towards both him and Rogue.

Leaping back, Ranma grimaced as he felt one snag him by the ankle and begin to pull him in. While he could dent metal with his bare hands - if he had the time to prepare his ki beforehand -, he couldn't break it, and he doubted he'd be able to do so when the metal was fighting back. Hearing a shriek, he looked over and saw Rogue had been pulled into one already. Frowning he let himself be taken as well. Wherever they took them, at least he'd be there to protect her.

Darkness surrounded him as the rob closed again, and he felt it rise in the air. He hoped this trip didn't take too long; he had someone's ass to beat when he got there.

"Dammit," he muttered, "I knew I shouldn'ta gone on this road trip." Damn Rogue and her promises of a sexy black thong bikinis and hidden-away little alcoves!

* * *

"You see anything?" Scott asked, looking out the cockpit windows as the Blackbird landed on a deserted beach. This was where his brother was supposed to be, right?

"No," Logan answered curtly, "An' the tide is comin' in; this cove'll be underwater in an hour."

"Take a closer look around," Xavier suggested. He blinked as Scott suddenly vanished from sight and appeared outside. he chuckled as Logan groaned and followed him out.

Approaching a surfboard at the edge of the water, Scott looked it over. "You think it's his?" he asked Logan.

"Maybe," the older man said distractedly, sniffing the air. Scott followed after him. Following Logan's gaze, Scott saw there were several prints in the sand.

"Hmmm..." Logan said, reaching the edge of the prints. "Looks like company dropped in on 'im," he gestured to where the prints suddenly vanished in the middle of the sand. "Literally. Left the same way, too."

"What kind of company?" Scott asked, looking around for any clues. Did the 'company' do something to his brother?

Logan growled lightly. "Magneto." he answered simply.

"Who?" Scott asked, confusion apparent on his face. That sounded like a codename... "Logan, who's Magneto?" he asked again as the older man walked off, sniffing the air.

Logan scowled, examining the cliffs in front of them for any sign of anyone. "I have a feelin' yer about to find out..."

The both of spun around suddenly as they heard a noise coming from the jet, which was now shaking and leaning to one side, the other end on the air. "It's him!" Logan growled, running towards the jet as it began to lift into the air - without the propulsion system activated. Running beneath it, Logan leaped and grabbed onto the extended landing gear as the Blackbird flew off into the air and away form the cove.

Scott watched in shock as he realized he could do nothing to help; he would have blasted it, but he ran the risk of hitting the wrong part of the plane and potentially killing his professor. Watching it disappear in the distance, he cursed himself for not being as prepared as he should have been.

His self-depreciation was cut short when a shadow fell over him. Looking up, he saw a figure standing on the cliff, his features partially hidden by the sun behind him. "Alex?" he said softly. "Alex?" he repeated louder, "Is it really you?"

"Scott?" The figure questioned, then repeated in an excited tone. "Scott!"

Scott ran towards cliff as Alex jumped down to another outcropping and made his way down, colliding with his brother in a big hug. "Oh, man!" Alex exclaimed, "It's like you came back from the dead!"

"You're tellin' me!" Scott said, pulling away from his brother. He was alive! He couldn't believe it! He pulled away, giving him a good look. "And look at you - what happened to the scrawny little kid I used to pick on?"

"Oh, yeah," Alex said with a mock-frown, "That reminds me," he punched Scott in the shoulder. "Owed ya that for ten years, bro!"

Scott laughed. "And you still hit like a girl," He teased.

"Believe me, man," Alex retorted, holding up a fist, " There's more to this punch than you know." He grinned widely, "Man, I still can't believe it! When Magneto told me you were showin' up I-"

"Woah, woah," Scott cut him off when he heard the name, "Magneto? You're with that guy?" He asked disbelievingly, "He just kidnapped my professor!"

"No, no," Alex denied, "You got it all wrong, he just wants to show him something." Alex turned and walked towards the cliff he had been standing on earlier, "C'mon, let me show you!"

Scott found, not liking where this might be leading. His gut was telling him this was a bad idea, but this was his long-lost brother; he couldn't lose Alex again after only just finding him. Deciding to take a chance, Scott followed his brother up the cliffside.

* * *

"Hello?" Ororo called out as she walked through the doors of the mansion, setting down her bag. "Anyone home?" This was odd; usually at this time of day the students were running all over the place and making all sorts of noise. It was dead silent however, a fact that put Ororo on edge. She had been expecting at least her nephew to greet her...

"Professor?" She called out, walking forward. A meow at her feet stopped and surprised her. "Oh!" she exclaimed softly, bending down at the waist. "Hello. You're not quite the kitty I was hoping to see," she said, stroking the cat along the back of the head. The cat purred and pushed up against her hand. "Can you tell me where everyone is?"

Ororo was quite certain now that nobody was here; the cat's presence was a good sign of that. Ranma had told them he was terribly allergic to the animals, and Tofu had confirmed it. If anyone was here, someone would have removed the cat from the premises. Walking up the stairs, something else occurred to the weather witch as the cat eagerly followed behind, mewing and rowring.

How could the cat have gotten inside... if no one would have let it inside in the first place? Unless the cat was not a cat...

Walking through the hallway, and keeping her eyes and ears open, she stopped her forward motion when she heard a soft footstep behind her. "Hmmm," she said softly, glancing to the side and seeing a feminine shadow cast on the wall. A feminine shadow that had not been there before. "Well," she said, unsurprised as she turned to see Mystique standing behind her. "Look what the cat dragged in."

Mystique immediately leaped into action, charging forward with a flying kick. Storm retaliated with a powerful blast of electricity, stopping the shapeshifter in midair and throwing her back down the stairs. Mystique held back a cry of pain as she twisted in mid-air out of the blast, landing on her feet. Running forward, she dodged another shot of electricity and dropped to her feet, sweeping her leg at Storms and knocking the African woman off her feet.

Storm hit the floor hard, but ignored the pain, thrusting her hand forward and shooting a gust of wind at the blue-skinned woman, sending her back again. Generating and manipulating the air currents around her, she took to the air and flew after her opponent.

When she reached where Mystique should have landed, however, the shapeshifter was nowhere to be seen. "What is this all about, Mystique?" She asked aloud as she looked around, readying another blast of lightning in her hands.

Mystique, hidden just around a corner, said nothing as she waited for the pperfect attempt to strike. The Saotome Secret Technique was far more useful than it seemed when first described. The weather witch did not know where she was, so she bided her time for the moment as she contemplated a new approach to the battle. If she was going to get her long-awaited revenge, she had to win!

* * *

Logan growled as he made his way to the shore of a nearby island; he'd attempted to get into the Blackbird to aid the Professor, but Magneto had easily taken control of his claws and metal skeleton, dropping him into the ocean. The jet was now who knows where - not that not knowing where it was would stop Logan. He would gather the others, and they would find it, where both it, the professor, and Buckethead.

Walking out of the water, Logan breathed heavily; having metal bones didn't exactly help ones ability to float easily. Staggering onto the sand, Logan fell to his knees to catch his breath. Seconds later a familiar foul odor entered his nostrils. Sniffing the air, he scowled.

"You look tired -," A calm yet cruel voice said.

Logan jerked his head to the side, and snarled as he saw Sabertooth crouched on top of a large pile of rocks.

"Hard to stay afloat with metal bones, huh?" Sabertooth finished with a sadistic grin.

"Why do I have tha feelin'" Logan growled, "That my bein' dropped here wasn't an accident?"

Sabertooth's grin grew wider and growl rose in his throat."You got that right," Sabertooth replied, "Bub." With a roar, he leaped off the rock and directly at his enemy.

Logan rolled to the side, sprining up to his feet as Sabertooth landed hard in the spot he'd been just seconds ago. With a 'snikt', all six of his claws extended from his knuckles, the razor sharp blades glinting in the sunlight. With an angry snarl, Logan charged.

* * *

Scott eyed the large silver orb before him. "So," he summarized what Alex had told him, "Magneto just wants to talk? You're certain about this?"

"Yeah!" Alex said excitedly, "He's not as bad as your professor thinks he is; he just wants to help us, help all mutants. He told me all about it, and he's helped me so much already." He walked forward towards the orb. "I want to go, Scott, but I don't want to go alone."

Scott frowned, considering everything Alex had told him. His gut was still telling him this was a bad idea; Logan had given him the impression that Magneto was not someone to be trusted, plus the man had basically kidnapped Xavier. But his little brother was going... "Alright," Scott finally said, "I'm coming with, but just to keep an eye on you." He grinned. "Mom and dad would come back to haunt me if I let you get in too much trouble."

Alex grinned. "Alright!" He exclaimed as he pulled himself into the orb. Scott entered a moment later, and the opening in the metal closed over.

* * *

Xavier had given up trying to regain control of the jet as it was pulled through the sky. He didn't know where Magneto was bringing him, or for what purpose. The master of magnetism had declared that this was merely about taking precautions, to prepare mutantkind for their eventual discovery by humans.

'Man fears what he does not understand,' Magneto had said, 'And what man fears, he will attempt to destroy. And they will fear us, because we are the future - a future they will realize they have no part in.'

From what little he was able to discern from that statement, Xavier knew Magneto had not changed in the slightest; he was still preparing for war, and it looked like he was going to try and convince Xavier yet again of his own ideals.

There was nothing the professor could do as the jet was taken to it's destination; Magneto's powers had grown, and he had full control of every aspect of the aircraft. Even if Xavier did manage to escape, Magneto could easily take control of his wheelchair and bring him here anyway. Xavier's eyes widened as he realized as his destination appeared in front of him.

The jet was currently above the cold white arctic wastelands, but it was the large asteroid floating in the air that had his full attention. From what he could tell, it was just under half a mile wide, and hard large cold metal structures jutting out from it.

"What-" Xavier whispered in fearful awe, "What is this place?" He asked as the jet was brought in along a runway beneath a large dark gray building. Above the runway, he could see Magneto standing on a balcony.

"Welcome, Charles," He heard the man say, "To Sanctuary; Asteroid M."

The plane came to a stop after a few moments, and Xavier felt his wheelchair move on it's own, floating down the stairway as it lowered. He took in every detail of the corridors as he was brought through them, until finally he reached the lookout Magneto had been standing on before. "What is all of this about?" Xavier demanded.

Magneto turned around with a flourish of his cape, and Xavier was taken aback by the mad intensity in his eyes. "A rebirth!" Magneto declared.

"Your X-men face a trial by fire," Magneto continued, "As do my own...recruits. Mutant pitted against mutant, one shall lose, and one shall win! And those that emerge victorious from their confrontations will be brought here, to take their places at my side, on Asteroid M.

"And once they are here, in this place of solitude, away from the corrupting influence of humankind, they can fully learn and realize the potential of their mutant abilities. The full potential they would not be able to achieve in the world of man, among those who would persecute them out of fear and discrimination."

Xavier saw Magneto's hand moved unconsciously to his wrist, touching it lightly. His number, Xavier realized; the marking he had been given as a child in Auschwitz. The event that had started him down this path, when he learned what he believed to be the true cruel nature of humanity.

"Erik," Xavier said softly yet hopefully, "Don't do this! We can introduce ourselves to the world as friends, not enemies!"

"You are an idealist, Charles." Magneto replied, turned to look at the telepath. "I, however, am a realist. A dark future rushed towards us," He paused as he walked past Xavier and into the building behind them, "And we must face it prepared." He waved his hand idly and Xavier felt his wheelchair being pulled forward, following after the Master of Magnetism.

* * *

Storm grunted as she crashed against a stone statue, breaking through it an slamming hard against the wall. Mystique didn't waste any time as she destroyed a section of statue that came towards her, leaping forward with a vicious kick Storm only just managed to avoid.

Growling angrily as she pulled her foot from the wall, Mystique didn't even have time to react as another burst of hurricane-force wind pushed her into the air and onto the second floor of the mansion. Grabbing a hold of the railing, she held on against the blast, ducking as a chair nearly took her in the head. Glancing back, Mystique let go of the railing and fell back on her training under Genma, twisting her body against the air currents and riding them higher into the air. Pushing herself hard off the ceiling, she managed to get around them and land a devastating knee-drop to Storm's back, followed by a savage kick to her side.

"Just give up, wind rider," Mystique taunted as she leaped back, slipping into a ready position. "And I'll make this quick." Her eyes narrowed. "I don't even know why I should have to prove myself to him.

Seeing her opponent was not going to back down, Mystique flipped into the air in another flying kick, which managed to snag Storm's cape as she dodged it.

I don't know what this is about," Storm said, her patience wearing thin as she dodged the blows, creating small bursts of air to cushion those she could not avoid, "Or why you have chosen to attack me. But at this point - " Storm lifted into the air, her eyes glowing white. "I really do not care. This is my home, and despite your family's presence, YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE!"

Mystique's eyes widened as fog surrounded her with each word out of the weather witch's mouth. She struggled as swirling winds took hold of her arms and legs, holding her in place for the large bolt of lighting that crackled out of Storm's hands. Mystique cried out in pain as she tried to break free. Falling to the ground as the electric attack ceased, she tried to pull herself up to continue the fight.

Storm stared coldly at the woman who had dared to attack her in her own home as she let the winds and fog dissipate. Pulling Mystique up by the collar, she delivered a final blow directly to the womans jaw, knocking her unconscious.

The mansion began to rumble as she dropped the shapeshifter to the ground. Looking around, fearing that Avalanche and the rest of the Brotherhood were not far behind, her eyes widened in fear as a large metal orb crashed through the ceiling. "What-" She exclaimed as the orb opened, but she was cut off as she was suddenly grabbed by a pair of metal tentacles.

Fear dominated her face as she saw she was being pulled into the the small, dark interior of the orb. "NO!" She shrieked, trying in vain to escape. She continued screaming as the orb closed up, leaving her surrounded by darkness.

Storm tried to keep herself from hyperventilating, but the walls of the sphere were so close, and it was so dark. She beat her fists against the side, begging to be let out as the she felt the orb lift into the air, which gave her the sensation that the space she was in was getting even smaller. Within moments, her fear overwhelmed her, and she passed out before the knockout gas could even take effect.

* * *

Logan dodged a swipe from Sabertooth's claws and tackled the larger mutant. With a roar, Sabertooth kicked Logan off of him and into the air. 

Flipping through the air, Logan landed on his feet and turned to face his foe. "Tell me where Buckethead took the professor," Logan angrily demanded, popping out his claws, "And maybe I'll consider going easy on ya!"

He popped out the claws in his other wrist and grinned humourlessly, adding. "Maybe."

Sabertooth snorted, crouching low to the ground. "Hey, he had it easy," He growled, "A free pass to Sanctuary while the rest of us have to fight to get in!" He grinned, "Which actually suits me just fine!" He let out a loud roar and charged.

Logan snarled in rage, meeting Sabertooth's charge with his own.

* * *

"The gathering is almost complete," Magneto told Xavier as they walked along the corridors of Asteroid M. He could feel several of his orbs approaching now, and absently directed their course through a hole in the side of the asteroid that would deposit them exactly when he wanted them. "Just Wolverine and Sabertooth, and Script and your Doctor Tofu to go."

"The doctor?" Xavier repeated in surprise, "Tofu is not a combatant! And who is this 'Script'?"

"A storm is coming for mutantkind, Charles," Magneto continued, either ignoring or not hearing what Xavier had said. "And our resolve must be ironclad. Script will not harm your doctor, Charles," he said, showing that he had heard the question. "Neither of them are intended to be here, as neither of them have the resolve to fight; but I had to keep the doctor busy." He frowned faintly. He knew Genma was not fighting the other man right now, and he would have to punish him for it later.

"Join with me, Charles!" Magneto continued, dropping the matter of Script and the doctor as he stopped walking and turned ot face Xavier. "Not against me."

Xavier frowned, his brow creasing. "You invitation begs the question; what happens to those who will not come willingly?"

Magneto's face was cold as he turned around and continued down the corridor, the wheelchair again following against Xavier's will. "If neccessary," Magneto answered after a moment, "Salvation must be force-fed."

The pair stopped, and Magneto gestured to the right. Looking over, Xavier was shocked to see Rogue standing unconscious in a clear glass tube. His eyes traveled further along the row, seeing several more tubes containing Jean, Ororo, and Ranma. "Erik," Xavier said breathlessly, placing a hand on Jean's prison and finding it blocked telepathic contact. "You have not saved them... You have abducted-" he was cut off by the sound of shattering glass behind him.

Ranma looked up with a grin, wiping the shards of glass form his arm. "Heya prof. Yo, helmet-guy," he greeted, turning to Magneto as he stepped out of his now-broken tube. The Master of Magnetism was giving the boy a calm gaze, although the stoicism of his look belayed only by the fact that his jaw was hanging open, "I broke your tube. My bad."

"Wha-" Magneto sputtered, quickly reclaiming his emotionless exterior. "What are you doing? The gas-"

Ranma snorted. "Oh, that stuff? Feh," he waved it off. "I'm practically immune ta that crap. It's a constant exposure thing, y'know? Kodachi used stronger stuff as seasonin' on her mornin' breakfast. Now," he said, cracking his knuckles, "I apologize in advance for breakin' the rest of your tubes, breakin' my friends out, and then breakin' every bone in yer body." His fist shot forward at Ororo's glass prison.

The forward motion of his arm was halted suddenly by the appearance of a large, thick sheet of metal. Ranma barely managed to stop his fist in time and avoid potentially breaking his hand; he'd prepared his fist for going through glass, not metal.

"Okay..." He said slowly, looking over and determining that the caped guy was the one who'd done that. "I guess I'll havta mix up tha order a bit."

"I think not," Magneto said, manipulating the metal from a flat sheet into a long thin cord that quickly wrapped around Ranma's wrists, binding them behind him. More metal circled around his ankles and neck, both connecting behind his back to the thick metal cuffs that encircled his wrists. With a wave of his hand, Ranma was pulled up into the air.

"Magneto!" Xavier cried, "Let them all go, please! You cannot force these decisions on people!"

Magneto turned away from Ranma to look at Xavier as Avalanche, Quicksilver and Network entered the room. "A certain amount of persuasion may still be needed with some, I admit," He said, walking towards the wheelchair-bound telepath. "But for every unbeliever-" he added gesturing to a pair of doors on the other side of the room. The doors opened, and Scott walked through, wearing jeans, a brown leather jacket over a white shirt and black gloves on his hands. At his side was his brother Alex, dressed in similar garb. "- there is a new convert."

Xavier's jaw dropped in shock as the meaning behind Magneto's words hit him. "Scott! No..."

* * *

Toad and Blob sat forlornly on the beach on a pair of rocks. "I don't get it," Toad said, "How'd we lose? We're strong, fast, and agile, plus I got this killer tongue." His tongue shot out to snag a passing fly.

"They cheated," Blob grumbled, "They had to have. No way in hell we weren't good enough."

"I know!" Toad agreed, "But we still got left behind." He spotted another large fly out of the corner of his eyes and licked his lips. Lashing out again with his tongue, his eyes widened as he felt something grab it.

"Spill it, Toad!" Kurt demanded, tugging on the prehensile organ, "What just happened? Where did the others go?" Behind him stood Kitty and Evan, glaring at the two remaining members of the Brotherhood. The former raised an arm and extended several sharp spikes to emphasis their desire for answers.

"Hey, let him go!" Blob demanded, "We don't gotta tell you twerps nothin'!"

"Okay, okay!" Toad agreed, the pain on his tongue intensifying, "I'll talk." He fell back as Kurt released his tongue and it snapped back into his mouth. "Shove it, Blob," Toad said bitterly as he sat up, cutting off the larger boy's protest. "We don't owe Magneto nothin' no more, not since he left us behind, that's for sure."

Blob frowned, not wanting to give the twerps any information, but nodded his agreement.

Kitty raised an eyebrow and shot the repulsive teen a questioning look. "Who?"

"Magneto," Blob answered gruffly, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, Magneto," Toad repeated, standing up, "The big boss, the major master mega-mutant Mystique reports to." He hopped his way over to the other group, Blob slowly following behind. "He's cleaning out the best from the worst, and we lost. You know what that makes us, right?"

"Losers," Blob grumbled in response.

Kurt clenched his teeth and grabbed Toad, staring him hard in the eyes. "What happened to the winners?" he demanded.

"They get ta go ta Sanctuary," Blob answered, roughly pulling Toad out of Kurt's grip. "Some place Magneto set up as a safe place for mutants or somethin'."

"Yeah," Toad agreed bitterly, "We weren't given any other details then that."

Kurt shared a look with Evan and Kitty as they took in the information, and the three X-Men nodded. It wasn't much to go on, to be honest, but the important part was that their friends had been abducted, and they needed to get them back. "Alright," Kurt said, "Let's head back to the mansion; maybe some of the others are back, and we can make a plan."

Evan nodded, then looked over at Blob and Toad, "You guys comin'?" he asked. Not that he really wanted them to, but maybe they'd be willing to help.

Toad glanced up at Blob, who shrugged. "Ain't got nothin' better to do," Toad admitted.

"Yeah," Blob agreed reluctantly, than grinned. "And I wouldn't mind gettin' back at Magneto for dumpin' us like this." he added, grounding one fist against his palm for emphasis.

"Whatever," Kurt said, "Alright, everyone grab on. I'm going to port us."

The four other teens did so, and the entire group vanished in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"Scott," Xavier said, looking at the boy Magneto had claimed to have turned to his side, "I-I don't understand."

"I know what you're thinking, Professor," Scott said, walking forward, "And you got it all wrong! We're just here to listen, that's all."

"Well," Ranma said from his place still suspended in midair, "That's all well an' good, but I ain't exactly heard anythin' worth listenin' too outta Magnavox over there yet."

Scott looked up, his eyes widened as he noticed Ranma for the first time. His gaze then turned to see the Rogue, Jean and Ororo unconscious and in their glass prisons. "What the-" he said, spinning around to glare at Magneto. "Hey, what is this?" He demanded.

"Simply a precaution, Scott," Magneto answered calmly.

Ranma snorted. "Precaution, my sexy toned ass," He countered, "Magenta here abducted alla us, knocked the others out with some kinda gas, and I'm willin' ta bet has some big crazy plan that's gonna backfire and almost get us all killed. Probably in a manner involving some really cool, really big explosions."

Magneto shot the pigtailed boy a glare and thrust his hand out, sending the martial artist flying into the wall with a hard thud. Ranma merely grinned back at him. "As you can see, Scott," Magneto said, turning to the sunglasses-clad boy, "Not everyone has the emotional or mental maturity to accept the need for change as you do."

"Let them out!" Scott demanded, rushing Magneto and raising a hand to his shades. Avalanche stepped in front of Magneto, rubbing his hands together in anticipation of taking the other boy down to 'protect' his boss.

"I will," Magneto said, pushing Avalanche aside, "We just need to proceed cautiously. Trust me, they are perfectly safe."

"Uh... no they ain't," Ranma interjected, still up against the wall. If he was uncomfortable having his limbs forcefully restrained, he showed no signs of it. "They're bein' held captive by some weirdo in a series of glass tubes." Ranma rolled his eyes, "I mean, really, glass tubes? Who the hell puts people in tubes fer their own safety? That's like, some freaky mad scientist-type shtick."

Frowning, Magneto raised a hand and removed a narrow strip of sheet metal from the ceiling and wrapped it around Ranma's head, covering his mouth. "You're time to speak will come soon enough, boy," he said, "Until then, please remain quiet."

**'Ranma is right, Scott,**' Scott heard Xavier's voice in his mind, **'I know Magneto well, and his motives can not be trusted. He has captured them all, and for a purpose that will only benefit him!"**

Magneto turned to see Xavier holding a hand to his head, his eyes closed. Looking quickly between the telepath and Scott, he thrust his hand forward and sealed Xavier in a tube next to the one broken by Ranma.

Xavier's eyes widened as he realized what was happening, and quickly sent out one last message before the gas overtook him. '**Logan, lose the battle! Magneto is-" **His message was cut off as the gas knocked him out.

"No!" Scott shouted, raising his hand to his shades, a red glow coming from behind them as he prepared to let loose a blast to free the Professor.

"Do that," Magneto said calmly as he walked up next to Scott, "And I doubt he will survive."

"Yeah?" Scott snarled, redirecting his gaze towards Magneto, "The odds of you doing the same are slowly falling..."

"Woah, Scott," Alex said, holding his brother back, "I don't know what's going on, but we're here to listen. So they're takin' a little timeout, big deal. I don't get it either, but no one should be getting hurt here. You can't blame Magneto for bein' careful. He just wants to help," He paused, rubbing his knuckles. His joints felt like they were on fire, "And I need his help. So c'mon," He reached up, pulling Scott's hand away form his shades, "holster that thing, okay?"

Scott sighed, shaking his head, "I don't like it,"

"But your brother is right, Scott," Magneto said, taking off his helmet and revealing his face fully. He was older, but his face held a bit of an ageless quality that prevented anyone present from guessing how old he really was. His hair was a solid white and cut very short, looking oddly similar to the style Quicksilver wore his in. "I am not your enemy, nor am I Charles'. Very soon, you and everyone else will know the truth."

Scott shot a distrusting glance at Magneto, followed by a long look at Ranma and the others currently held against their will. He noticed the look Ranma shot him and gave a short, imperceptible nod. He'd play along for now. Giving another nod, this one towards Magneto, he walked outside onto the balcony. Alex watched for a moment before following after him.

* * *

Logan watched as the metal orb containing Sabertooth flew off into the sky. He didn't understand why Charles had told him to lose the battle, but he trusted the man enough to give him the benefit of the doubt in this regard.

From what he could surmise, Magneto was having everyone who had chosen a side fight it out, and the winners would be taken to some place - Sabertooth had called it 'Sanctuary' - where something else would happen. Something probably very bad.

Pulling himself up off the rock he'd let Sabertooth punch him onto, Logan narrowed his eyes as he saw a helicopter parked on another cliff. That must be how Sabertooth had come to this island; well, lucky him. He now had a way off the island.

Climbing up the cliff wall, Logan quickly made it to the helicopter. Taking to the sky, he headed back to the Institute, intent on either warning the others, or taking the others who had lost to find those who had 'won'.

* * *

"Your move," Genma said emotionlessly, staring hard at Tofu.

Tofu frowned and looked over the battlefield. He couldn't find anything there he could use to his advantage, and the man across from him had him greatly out-skilled. The only thing he could rely on were his wits. They hadn't proved much useful thus far in the battle, however, and Tofu could see tell he was on the ropes now. He had to make this attack count, or Genma would surely win.

Looking back up at the man after a moment's thought, he said calmly. "B-7."

"Dammit!" Genma declared, slamming his fist on the table and causing both game boards to shake. "You sank my battleship!" He sighed closing his board. "You win, Tofu. Are you sure you don't have shogi? I'm much better at that."

Tofu chuckled. "Sorry," He apologized, taking both boards and placing them back in the box. Standing up, he took Genma's cup, as well as his own, over to the stove. "Would you like some more tea?"

"Yes, thank you," Genma said, looking over the other board games the mansion had. "So whattaya think, Monopoly or Candyland?"

Tofu sighed as he poured the two cups of tea. "I don't know, Genma," he answered, "As much... fun as this is, I still feel I should be doing something. Magneto is forcing both our sides to fight, and here we are playing board games instead of doing something more to aid them.

"Hey," Genma said, "I may be forced to serve Erik, but I am not on his side. I have no interest in any side of this matter; like I said before, I'm neutral in this conflict." He smirked. "If you really want to go to Erik's little Asteroid playhouse, you could take my earlier suggestion and just knock me unconscious."

"I already told you, I cannot," Tofu replied, shaking his head, "Not only have I declared myself a noncombatant in this matter, doing anything to harm you would be a violation of the oath I took as a physician."

"Then we remain at this stalemate," Genma said seriously, "With only two options before us."

"And those options would be?" Tofu asked hesitantly.

Genma's face broke out in a wide grin. "Monopoly," he held up one box, "Or Candyland."

* * *

Mystique snarled as she regained consciousness just in time to watch the orb that should have been hers take the weather witch. "Dammit," she growled, slamming her fist against the floor, "That bastard is going to pay for discarding me like that!"

Standing up, she looked around at the destroyed mansion around her. She might still have a chance; if Wolverine or the doctor, or even one of the students was around, she could still defeat them and be taken to Asteroid M. She had a score to settle with her now-former employer.

Unfortunately a search of the mansion had turned up no one. Stepping out into the back yard, however, she noticed a figure in the distance. She couldn't make out who it was, but she recognized the glare of the sun off one of Magneto's transport spheres. Gritting her teeth, she ran forward, intent on taking the figure down quickly and claiming the sphere for herself.

She stopped dead in her tracks, however, when she saw the sphere explode into hundreds of shards of metal. Looking closer, she saw the remains of more of the spheres littered about the area. Her attention soon focused, though, on the figure standing among them. Her lips twisted up into a cruel grin as she recognized the boy.

Ryouga glared down at the remains of the last orb. That bastard just would not give up; this was the sixteenth one of these things the guy had sent. The guy just could not take 'no' for an answer.

Ryouga suddenly ducked as he heard something fly through the air. Looking up, he saw a leg pass through where his head had been only moments before. Rolling to the side, he stood in a ready position before a very sexy blue-skinned woman wearing a white tunic that, while not revealing, was tight in all the right places. His ready stance collapsed as he held a hand to his nose. "Who are you?" He asked hesitantly.

Mystique glared at the boy, hatred evident in her eyes. "You got lucky last time, Hibiki" she said, raising a fist and charging forward. "But you won't escape this time!"

"What the hell?" Ryouga asked, ducking under the blow, as well as the one that followed while still holding his nose; certain parts of the lady moved in very interesting ways when she attacked. "I don't know you, lady," He cried out, jumping over a leg sweep.

Mystique snarled, grabbing the boy by the leg and swinging him into a tree, "You wouldn't," She said angrily, "But you know - and hurt - someone else, someone very dear to me!!" She frowned as she tried to swing him again, but he had grabbed hold of the tree in an iron grip. Letting go of his leg, she jumped into the air and landed with a sharp knee into his back, causing him to grunt in pain and break his hold on the tree.

Grabbing by the hair, she forcefully yanked his head back, "Perhaps you recall him?" She whispered hatefully into his ear. She continued after seeing him shake his head in fear. "Perhaps the reminder of a recent battle on top of a mountain will jog your memory?" She slammed his head against the ground.

Ryouga's eyes widened. "Are you telling me..." He said slowly, pushing himself off the ground and to his feet as Mystique backed off momentarily. "Ranma?"

The shapeshifter narrowed her eyes and gave short nod, her teeth bared as she snarled at the boy, "Yes, Ranma," She confirmed.

Ryouga's aura erupted around him and a look of rage came over his face. "THAT CAD!" He declared angrily, "First," His rage was dripping from every word as he continued speaking, "First he cheats on Akane with every girl in sight, then he just ups and leaves her, and running away from Nerima like a coward to shack up with that new floozy, and now he's cheating on HER with a much older woman!" His eyes burned with intensity. "RANMA SAOTOME, PREPARE TO-GURK"

Mystique's eyes narrowed to thin slits. Much older woman?! Oh, this boy was dead. "Fool!" She growled, charging forward and grabbing him by the neck, easily lifting him into the air and squeezing tightly, "You are as idiotic as you are dead, punk." Her words , while delivered softly, were oozing with menace. "You will not threaten my son in my presence, understand?"

Ryouga glared down at the woman; normally, he didn't fight girls, unlike Ranma. But if this woman was who she claimed to be, the person who brought Ranma into the world in the first place, than he was willing to make an exception. With a growl, he brought a glowing fist into the air.

Mystique rolled her eyes at the pitiful attempt at an attack. Quick as lighting, her other hand darted out, and less than a second later Ryouga's arm fell limply to his side. "Do you take me for a moron of your own caliber, boy?" She taunted, striking him at three points in the chest. "I know more about the type of power you wield than you have ever considered learning. I know the pathways ki travels throughout the body- "She grinned maliciously and poked him hard in the solar plexus with one finger, "-and I know exactly where to strike to cut them off."

Ryouga's eyes bulged and his face contorted in a mask of pain as he felt his entire supply of ki suddenly rip violently from his body; every cell of his body felt like it was on fire as he felt his ki force it's way out of his very pores and dissipate harmlessly into the air. His body hit the ground with a hard thud as Mystique released her hold on his neck.

"Not to mention the most painful ways to do such a thing." Mystique concluded. She gave Ryouga a savage kick to the stomach out of spite and turned and walked away, stopping to call over her shoulder. "You are fortunate that the effect only lasts a few hours, boy. You are also fortunate I decided to be merciful. But remember this - hurt my son like you did before, and I will not show you such mercy next time."

Ryouga lay on the ground, his entire body wracked with pain and his breathing shallow. He barely heard the womans words as his rage burned inside him, having only enough energy to swear revenge on yet another Saotome as he vomited blood and darkness fell over him.

* * *

Magneto watched as the Summers brothers walked out onto the balcony. Scott was slipping from his grasp; he had to do something before the boy turned on him completely. But first, he had to do something about the pigtailed boy.

Approaching the bound and gagged martial artist, Magneto waved a hand and the band of metal circling Ranma's mouth pulled away. "Now, Ranma," Magneto said, "I believe it is time for us to speak."

Ranma glared at the man as he contemplated spitting in his face. "Well, I ain't goin' nowhere, so talk." He hoped the jerk would release the bonds soon; he had a null ready and waiting with his name on it, whatever that name was. Megafrito or something.

Ignoring the boy's lack of respect - for now - Magneto pulled his hand forward and the bound boy floated away from the wall. "Ranma Saotome," He said, "Son of Genma Saotome and Raven Darkholme. Master of Saotome Anything-Goes style martial arts, as well as dozens of other styles of combat too numerous to name. Expert fighter, skilled with many bladed and blunt weapons, expert marksman, and surprisingly, champion ballroom dancer. Possessor of four separate curses, and victim of the dreaded Neko-ken. Born April 23, 1990, in Manchester, England." He smirked as Ranma shot him a look of surprise at that, "Yes, your parent's traveled quite extensively before you were born."

"Whoop-de-doo." Ranma said sarcastically, although inwardly he wondered how this guy knew more about him than even he did; four curses? He even knew about the ballroom dancing; he'd thought he'd kept that secret form everyone! "So ya did yer homework. Nabiki, have ya been sellin' unauthorized biographies about me again?" He directed the last question at Network, who looked up in surprise form the private conversation she was having with her two teammates.

"You are of particular interest to me, Ranma," Magneto continued, looking Ranma directly in the eyes and making no acknowledgment of his words. "And have been for some time. Y-"

"Woah, woah, woah," Ranma said, cutting the man off and giving him a strange look. "Hey it's cool with me if you swing that way, but ya see that sexy goth girl in the far tube?" He gestured with his head, "Yeah, I'm with her, so while I'm flattered, I-"

Magneto resisted the urge to slam his head against the wall. "Quiet boy," He said, his calm facade beginning to slip, "Or I will be forced to gag you again. As I was saying, you are of particular interest to me, because of all the things I have been able to learn about you, one thing still alludes me. Do you know what that is?"

Ranma thought for a moment. "How I keep my hair so lustrous, healthy and vibrant?"

"Your powers," Magneto responded, choosing to ignore the nonsense coming out of the boys mouth. "In all of my research, in all of my observations, I have not been able to find out the path your x-gene has taken. Cerebro, my own associates, even several precognitive mutants have not been able to tell me anything."

"Feh," Ranma snorted, "That's easy. Nullification. You need to pay more attention, MacGyver."

Magneto laughed. "I do not think, so, Ranma," He said, "My observations have shown the nullification effect is not the extent of your abilities, but rather a by-product. The question it, what is it a by-product of?"

"I have tried numerous methods to determine this," Magneto continued, turning and walking towards a large circular metal door on the far wall. "Many of the incidents on your training journey were such experiments, as were many of the rivals you have faced in the past year and a half. Your father and said rivals are unaware, of course; I could not contaminate the experiment with my direct influence, after all."

Ranma frowned as he listened to the man's claims; if this were all to be believed, his entire life had basically been one big experiment so this guy could answer some question that'd been bugging him. This did not sit well with him; Ranma Saotome didn't hate many things, but he definitely hated to be used.

"And only one factor has remained constant in all of my experiments," Magneto continued. "You surpassed all the challenges put before you, and grew stronger."

"I'm the best," Ranma said simply, as if stating a fact everyone knew.

"Yes, you are quite skilled," Magneto said, "I do admit that, and quite easily. But I am convinced there is more at work behind your skill than mere talent. Even bore the full activation of your x-gene, you were accomplishing things I know for a fact humans are not capable of, not even the most skilled of martial artists."

"Ya know," Ranma interrupted, "This is a great little story - really, I'm simply fascinated that you been basically usin' me my entire life - but I'm afraid I might be missin' the point of this little story."

Magneto smiled,"Ah, yes, the point. The point, my boy, is that soon I will learn exactly what it is I want to know. In a matter of moments, all will be revealed." He turned away, walking in the direction Scott and Alex had walked off in and leaving Ranma hanging in midair by the large metal door. "Sabertooth," Magneto said as he passed by the man. "Keep an eye on the boy. I do not want him to escape before I learn what I want to know."

Sabertooth grunted in acknowledgment and moved to the boy's side. Giving the boy a quick snarl, he crossed his arms and stood impatiently.

"So..." Ranma said after several minutes. "How ya been, ugly?"

"Shut up."

"Aww, don't be like that," Ranma teased, "We're old friends now. Hey, remember that beating I gave you a while back?" Ranma laughed, "Oh, man, good times indeed."

Sabertooth growled and attempted to ignore the pigtailed boy; if Magneto hadn't given him explicit instructions to the contrary, the boy would be dead now. As it was, the guy had better get back soon, or he didn't know if he'd be able to restrain himself from ripping a few limbs off the kid.

* * *

"Woah," Kitty said with wide eyes as she took in the destroyed interior of the mansion, "What the heck happened? The mansion is like, totally destroyed!"

"Oh man," Kurt exclaimed, looking over the large burn marks in the floor.

"Man," Toad said, looking over the destroyed furniture and and ruined walls as he hopped in, "You guys live like slobs."

Blob snorted, "Damn, I'm glad I turned down the offer ta join; Mystique's place is way better than this dump."

"Auntie O!" Evan called out, "Auntie O! Are you here?"

"Storm?" Kitty asked aloud, " Professor? Is anyone here?"

All five young mutants stepped back as Mystique appeared at the top of the stairs, then jumped down in front of them. "Everyone's out," The shapeshifter answered, crossing her arms over her chest, "Can I take a message?"

"He-e-ey," Toad chuckled, pointing a gloved finger at the woman, "If your still here, that means your a loser to!" He grinned, "Man I don't feel so bad n-gurk!"

"Don't you dare call me that," Mystique hissed, grabbing the boy by the collar and glaring at him angrily.

"What are you here for," Kurt asked distrustfully, then begrudgingly adding, "Mother?"

"Simple truth, son," Mystique replied, dropping Toad on the floor, "Nobody discards me, especially not Magneto after all I've done and sacrificed for him. So I'm going to pay him a little visit." She looked at them all, putting her hands on her hips. "We can go together, or I can go alone."

"Oh, you won't be alone," A gruff voice answered from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Logan stalk into the mansion, his clothes torn and ragged.

"Magneto's got our friends," He said, smashing a ruined windowpane out of his way, "And we're gonna go after 'em. Kitty," he said, looking at the girl, "Go get the Hibiki kid; I don't like him, but we need all the help we can get. He hates Magneto anyway, so I think he'll be more than willin'."

"Hibiki won't be any help," Mystique said with a malicious grin, stopping Kitty in her tracks, "He's rather unconscious and half-dead at the moment." Inwardly, she wondered what Logan had meant when he said Hibiki hated Magneto; had her now-former employer done something she wasn't yet aware of?

Logan narrowed his eyes, then nodded. "Fine." he grunted, "Then lets get movin'. You comin'?"

"Yes," Mystique said, crossing her arms, "But I know the man, so I'm calling the shots."

"Hmph," Logan said, looking her hard in the eyes and gritting his teeth, "Then you can get your own ride. X-Men, let's go," he said, walking off without another word. The X-Men followed after him, leaving Toad, Blob and Mystique watching.

Mystique glared at the man's back with her arms crossed angrily, then sighed an grabed Toad by the back of his collar and threw him along with them. "Alright, fine," She gave in, "But I expect to be consulted!"

* * *

Tofu watched as the tennis court opened and the XM Velocity rose from the chamber beneath it. "Okay," he told Genma as the aircraft took off. "They're gone. Logan brought a helicopter in," He said, pointing to said vehicle that was parked off to the side of the mansion. "Do you know how to fly one?"

Genma nodded, "I'm a bit rusty, but I think I can swing it," he grinned, and added, "Just like riding a bike, right?"

"Right," Tofu said nervously, "Are you sure you don't want to stay? We could help you get out from under Magneto's thumb, and you could see your son again."

"No, I'm afraid not," Genma said with a shake of his head, "The hold Magneto has over me is greater than any of you could help me with, and regardless, is something I have to do on my own. As for Ranma," he paused, looking up into the distance where the XM Velocity had disappeared. "I can't tell you much, Tofu, but Ranma does not need me in his life right now. I have it on a very reliable source that he must handle the events to come without me. It's hard, but I've trained him well, and he will become stronger for it."

Tofu nodded, "I understand, I suppose." He said, although he really didn't. "Well then," he took Genma's hand in his and shook it firmly. "Good luck, Genma, and if things ever change, you will always be welcome here."

Genma smiled, "Thank you, doctor. Take care of the boy." He turned from the man and walked towards the helicopter.

Tofu watched as the rotors began to spin the and the aircraft took to the sky. Watching it for a few more moments, he returned to the mansion; maybe he could get it a little cleaner before everyone got back.

Genma sighed. "I'm afraid, my friend, that you are wrong," He said softly as he aimed the craft for the nearest airport; the fuel wouldn't last long enough to get back to Japan, but he had enough money on him for a plane ticket. "After the things I've done, I would never be welcome... and I can never be forgiven."

* * *

"My parachute caught fire, and I hit the ground pretty hard," Scott said, remembering back to the plane crash ten years ago that had killed his parents and separated him from his brother. "I spent a month in a coma. The hospital said I was the only one who made it." He looked over at his brother apologetically, "I wanted to be there for you Alex, really, I did. I'm sorry." He hung his head.

"Hey, don't sweat it," Alex said with a grin, placing an arm around his brother's shoulders, "I got along alright. My foster parents are pretty cool." He winced and rubbed his hands through his gloves.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked.

"Man, my joints are on fire," Alex said, looking at his hand, "I been to a bunch of doctors, but nobody could tell me what it was," he looked over at Scott, "Until today," he said, clenching his fist, "When I met Magneto. Now I know what I am, what the pain means."

Scott sighed, the mention of Magneto turning his mind back to current events. "How has he promised to help you Alex?"

"Not just Alex, Scott," Both boys turned to see Magneto standing nearby, his cape fluttering in the wind. "You as well; Everyone! Together, we shall embark upon a wonderous renaissance, and I invite you to be a part of it." He turned around, gesturing with his hand. "Please, come with me."

* * *

'**You know,'** Network said telepathically to her teammates, '**I got a feeling your dad isn't exactly all there, Pietro.'**

'**Whatta you mean?' **Quicksilver replied a little defensively.

'**No, man, she's got a point,'** Avalanche said, '**He seems kinda nuts.'**

'**Exactly,'** Network said, '**You see that look in his eyes whenever he starts going off on one of his 'wonderous future' speeches? I saw the same look in the eyes of a delusional moron back in Japan every day.'**

'**Well... dad has always been a little,'** Quicksilver paused to find the right words, **'Overzealous about things, but he's not crazy.' **He narrowed his eyes, '**Why, you thinkin' of bailin' on him?'**

Network shook her head, '**No, I'm sticking with you guys,' **She said, '**But I'm thinkin' maybe we keep an eye out and an ear open from here on out. We don't want to get into something too big and have it blow up in our faces later.'**

'**She's right," **Avalanche agreed, '**I may not want to be with the X-twerps, but I'm not so certain I wanna be on a side with a crazy guy in charge either.'**

Frowning, Quicksilver nodded after a minute. '**I gotcha,' **he said, '**But until such a thing happens, we stick with him. He's got big things planned, and we don't want to be left out,' **He smirked, looking at Network, '**It'd be very unprofitable. Now stow the convo, he's back.'**

Network nodded and closed the link as they turned to face Magneto, who had just entered the room, Scott and Alex behind him. Network shot the older Summers brother a smile and a wink, and was rewarded when he blushed faintly and turned his head away, paying his full attention to Magneto.

"I built it right into the asteroid," Magneto said, approaching the large circular metal door. Ranma was still hanging in front of it in mid-air, whistling and annoying tune. Sabertooth's eyes were wild as his enhanced hearing picked up every note. Magneto ignored both of them.

"Behold," He continued, gesturing towards the door, "The next step in mutant evolution."

"What is it?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, what is it already?" Ranma asked impatiently, "You've kept me here waitin', so it better be somethin' good." His stomach grumbled angrily, and he added, "Somethin' I can eat."

"A genetic enhancer," Magneto said proudly, ignoring Ranma yet again and pulling a large red crystal out of his pocket, "Perhaps you've heard of the legendary Gems of Cytorrak-"

"Nope," Ranma interjected, shaking his head.

"-Well, they do exist," Magneto continued, holding the gem up reverently. "Once thought to contain mystical properties, these stones actually admit a very distinctive radiation."

"Unless that'll turn this thing inta a giant microwave," Ranma said with a bored tone, "and you bring out a coupla cows, I ain't intermmmphmmhmph" Ranma glared at Magneto as he was cut off by the narrow strip of metal again blocking his mouth.

"Wait a minute," Alex said dubiously, "You're gonna nuke us?"

"I'm going to evolve you!" Magneto exclaimed, a manic fervor entering his eyes, "To finish your growth! No more pain Alex, and no more hiding behind that visor, Scott! You're powers will be fully realized, giving you complete control!"

"What about them?" Scott asked, looking over at the others who were still confined. "I want them released!"

"They will be," Magneto assured, crossing his arms, "But only after you've gone through the transformation; I want them to see what I am offering!" He gestured, and the large circular door swung open. The console next to it activated, and several flashing purple and red lights could be seen form within the chamber. "And it is an offer, Scott," Magneto added, "I won't force you to go through it."

"And we're just supposed to trust that this thing works?" Scott asked, "You go through it then."

"I already have," Magneto said, standing proudly, "I'm fully advanced. But why don't I give you a demonstration? Sabertooth."

Sabertooth nodded and growled, stepping into the chamber as a bright red light began to emanate from within; so bright, the insides were completely obscured from view as Sabertooth fearlessly walked up the ramp and into the chamber. The door closed behind him.

"In a few moments he will emerge from the second door, reborn," Magneto said, gesturing towards another circular door to the right of the first. This one wasn't as large, and seemed to be made up of several pieces of triangular metal, each with a angle meeting in the center.

Everyone present stared intently at the doors, anticipation and general disbelief on their faces as it opened just over a minute after the first one had closed, again bathing the room in a bright red glow.

Sabertooth stepped out. He was much taller, bulging with muscles. His bottom canines jutted upwards from his lower jaw, and his entire body was covered with thick fur. He walked on the toes of his feet, now tipped off, like his fingers with claws even sharper and longer than the ones he had before. Sabertooth leaned back his head and let out a deep roar.

"Boys?" Magneto said, gesturing towards the chamber, "It's time to reach your full potential."

"What do you think, Scott?" Alex asked, rubbing his joints through his gloves. "I want to, but not without you."

Scott looked towards the chamber, then back to his brother. The idea was appealing; having control of his powers and not being forced to wear ruby quartz shades or a visior, condemned to see the word in tints of red for the rest of his life. Glancing at Ranma quick, he saw the bound boy still glaring at Magneto. Looking back to his brother, he flashed a smile and nodded. As one, the two boys walked towards the door.

"And now for an appreciative audience," Magneto said, turning towards the X-Men enclosed in the glass tubes. With a pair of gestures, the large door opened and the captives awoke.

Jean rubbed her head; the last thing she remembered was fighting Network, then a large metal orb... She gasped as she looked up, seeing Scott and another boy she didn't know standing in front of a bright glowing light. She gasped again when she saw Ranma, bound and gagged with strips of metal hovering nearby the door. She pressed her hands against the glass in fear.

"Scott!" She cried out, beating a fist against the glass. She cried out louder, knowing her voice was muffled by the glass. "No!" Don't, please!"

Xavier grit his teeth as he watched, and reached out with his mind towards the older Summers. '**Scott!' **he cried out telepathically, '**I know what Magneto is doing! That machine will alter your mind!'**

Scott turned around as he heard this, and attempted to escape as the door shut behind them.

"Too late Charles," Magneto said arrogantly as the process began, "He's mine now." He turned to Ranma, removing the metal gag, "And you, my boy, are next; everyone will finally see what you're x-gene makes you truly capable of when you are evolved!" He smirked, hoping his hunch was correct.

This time, Ranma did spit in his face. "Screw you, Magnolia," he said, "I'm perfect enough already; I don't need no stupid machine, especially not from a jackass who would trick my friends like that."

Magneto stood calmly, wiping the spit off his face and turning towards the second door as it opened. Moments later, two figures stepped out of the red light. "Come," he said, "The world awaits you."

Both Scott and Alex had gained quite a bit of muscle-mass, and both looked several years older, although their faces held the same ageless quality Magneto's did. Also like the Master of Magnetism, their hair was now pure white. Their faces were completely expressionless.

Jean gasped as she saw them, and Rogue stared at Ranma worriedly, remembering that Magneto said he was next.

"The pain is gone," Alex said, wonder in his tone as Magneto approached the pair.

"And you shall be called, 'Havok'." He said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Go on Scott," Magneto said, turning to the other boy, "Show us the colour of your eyes."

"Their green," Ranma interjected pointlessly.

Scott smirked and reached up to remove his sunglasses, opening his eyes fully after a moment. They were indeed green, and no optic blasts escaped from them.

"Another benefit to your enhancement," Magneto added, "Your minds, they have been purged of useless emotion. You should have a clear perspective of our dominant roles here on earth."

Behind him, Network shot her teammates a look and gestured towards Magneto, raising a finger to her ear and twirling it around. '**I told you!' **She added mentally, '**'Dominant roles here on earth?**' **Nutty as a freakin' fruitcake!'**

Avalanche shot a glance to Quicksilver, who shook his head. '**Like I said, dad's just a bit overzealous,' **he replied, although his tone was hesitant.

Network frowned, but nodded. It wasn't definite proof, but she was going to be keeping a serious eye on things from her eon out; she joined this group to make a profit and gain power, but not over the bodies of humanity. She sighed; maybe this promotion wasn't as good a thing as she thought it would be.

Rogue watched, fear in her eyes as she saw Magneto turn towards Ranma. The powers she had taken from Blob had worn off, so she didn't have the strength to break the glass, but she beat at it anyway with all of her might.

"Now, Ranma," Magneto said, gesturing with a hand and causing the boy to float into the chamber. "It is your turn, finally-"

"Yeah, yeah," Ranma said, rolling his eyes, "'Finally understand my gifts', 'figure out the big mystery', blah blah blah, you've said it all before, Maglight. Listen," he continued, "Not that I ain't interested - although I ain't - but really I don't think this is gonna work out. I wouldn't look half as sexy as I do now with white hair, y'know?"

Magneto said nothing as he made a gesture, and the bonds fell off. Before Ranma could move, however, the door slammed shut. "Hopefully the enhancement will change that flapping mouth of his," he muttered as the process began.

Rogue cried out in fear, slamming her fists harder against the glass before slumping down to the bottom of her prison in defeat, her head in her hands and tears escaping from her eyes.

* * *

Inside the chamber, Ranma frowned as a blue forcefield held him in place and a conveyor belt on the floor moved him forward. "Is this it?" He asked aloud, a little disappointed. The door was too thick for him to knock down, and even if he could, the force-field was still there.

Moments later, a he bit back a cry of pain as red energy bombarded him, the conveyor belt pulling him through a corridor. "Guess that's not it," He managed to grunt out against the pain. He sighed, enduring the pain as the corridor moved him along; he could always dye his hair black again, he supposed.

* * *

Toad groaned fearfully as the jet shook with the force of the flight. His eyes were shut tight and he held a death grip on his restraints. Behind him, Spyke, Shadowcat, Blob and Nightcrawler were having similar reactions.

"Oh yeah," Wolverine said with a grin as the flew above the arctic wastes. "This baby really cooks."

"You hear that metal strainin'?" Toad asked fearfully, "We're breakin' up, I know it!"

"Can't be," Wolverine said over his shoulder, still grinning, "This baby's built without an' ounce of metal."

If anything, Toad's expression grew even more fearful. "That means we're flyin' in what, cheap plastic?" He slapped a palm against his forehead in dismay. "I need an airsick bag."

Mystique's eyes were locked on the radar. "I've got something huge on scanners," She said as a large blip appeared. "Asteroid M, five hundred and seventy-three miles and closing." Soon they would arrive, and Mystique could claim what was rightfully hers and pay Magneto back for all he had made her do. Her eyes narrowed and she grinned in anticipation.

* * *

As the door swung shut, all the eyes in the room were again on the second door, waiting for the transformed Ranma to emerge.

Magneto watched eagerly, almost impatiently awaiting the opening of the second door, and the answer he had been seeking for so long. The seconds seemed to pass like hours, but his gaze never wavered from the door. If his suspicions were correct...

Rogue watched as well, although her expression was fearful, but tinged with a small amount of hope. Maybe it wouldn't work, of the machine would break down, or his nullification would prevent it from working. She knew none of those scenarios were likely, but she held onto the hope anyway. If he was robbed of his emotions, like Magneto had said Scott and Alex were... she couldn't bear the thought of him not feeling anything for her anymore.

Finally, the door opened, the metallic triangles that composed it pulling back into the wall, and the bright red light filled the room again. The breaths of everyone present caught in their throats as a figure emerged from the light, walking slowly.

"Yo, McNugget" Ranma said as he leaned against the door with an arrogant smirk, "Sorry to burst yer bubble, but it don't look like yer little doohicky worked. Looks like ya gotta go back to boring old research."

Rogue's expression was one of pure relief, her tears now turning to cries of joy. She didn't know why it hadn't worked, and she didn't care. All she knew was Ranma was still Ranma, and that was all that mattered.

"On the contrary," Magneto said, grinning triumphantly; his hunch had been correct! The lack of results from the machine proved it! "I have the answers I was looking for, despite the apparent failure of my device. The enhancer did not work, because you cannot BE enhanced. Your mutants powe-"

Magneto's explanation was cut off by the sudden blaring of an alarm. "Aircraft!" Sabertooth declared in a guttural voice.

"Really," Magneto said, dropping the explanation for the moment. "Let's see who it is." Gesturing towards a panel in the ceiling, which opened up as he did he focused his powers and attempted to take hold of the incoming craft. Frowning as nothing happened, he tried again. "No metal!" He realized, shooting a look at Xavier.

Xavier smirked and gave the man a 'hey, whattaya gonna do?' shrug.

"Boys," Magneto said, turning to the Summer's brothers, "Defend us!"

The brothers walked out onto the balcony wordlessly.

Less than a minute later they ran back in, the aircraft following behind them. Jean cried out mentally and reached out with her telekinesis, pulling both boys out of the way of the crashing vehicle, which slammed into the wall and buried Scott and Alex behind a pile of rubble.

Shadowcat phased through the craft with Blobe, both slipping into ready positions Nightcrawler ported in a split second later with Spyke, the latter immediately growing several sharp bones out of his arm. At the same time, the top hatch of the aircraft flew off, Toad and Wolverine jumping out. Last of all, a reached out, Mystique following it a second later.

"Knock knock," Mystique said, glaring at Magneto.

"Mystique," Magneto said, anger filtering into his normally calm tone as he rose to hover above the floor. "You never could take 'no' for an answer."

Mystique yelled angrily as she leaped at the man, landing a kick to his armoured chest.

Using the distraction, Ranma leaped into action. "Cover your eyes!" He shouted to his still-enclosed friends, shattering the glass tubes one-by-one once they did. Rogue grabbed him in a tight hug as he freed her, which he returned.

"You still owe me that sexy bikini you promised, " He whispered in her ear. Rogue blushed an elbowed him in the stomach. "Right, right, after the fight," He grinned.

"Where's the X-Jet?" Wolverine bellowed.

"Observation deck!" Xavier answered, pointing in the direction. "That way!"

"Gather the-" Wolverine was cut off as Sabertooth suddenly tackled him hard against the wall with a loud roar. Growling, Wolverine threw the now much-larger man off of him and began slashing with his claws.

Sparing the two a brief glance, Xavier turned to the others. "Rogue, Storm," He addressed the women quickly, "Prepare the jet!" He turned to Jean and Ranma and they both of them took off to do so. "Jean, Ranma, we have to get to Scott and Alex!"

Ranma nodded and ran towards where the two boys had been buried and began digging them out, Jean following behind and aiding him with her telekinesis.

**'Okay,'** Network said, observing the battle that had begun and stepping back against the wall to avoid being caught in the cross fire. She quickly opened her connections ot Toad and Blob. **'Who are we fighting?'**

Blob charged forward angrily at Avalanche and Quicksilver. "You left us behind!" He declared angrily.

Quicksilver quickly darted out of the way and Avalanche stomped his foot on the ground, sending a vibration that causing the floor to ripple and throw Blob off balance. Crying out as he was sent into the air, Blob crashed to the floor, next to the enhancer, causing the door to swing open.

'**I don't know!' **Avalanche answered, '**Whoever attacks us, I guess!'** Dammit, this wasn't how it was supposed to be! They were supposed to come here, get enhanced, become more powerful, then... actually, he didn't know what was supposed to come after that.

The ripple continued to spread across the floor, knocking Spyke to the ground and causing the ceiling above him to begin to fall, which also blocked Storm's path to the X-Jet.. Scrambling away, Shadowcat suddenly phased through the floor and dived at him, taking him back through the floor with her. Coming out a few feet from Avalanche, Spyke knocked him in the jaw with a harsh kick, sending him reeling backwards. Tripping over Blob, Avalanche hit the enhancer and fell to the ground, groaning.

Mystique lashed out another kick at Magneto, hitting his helmet and causing him to stagger. Lifting a hand, the Master of Magnetism pulled two foot-long iron bars from the ceiling and sent them spinning at the shapechanger.

Leaping back to avoid them as the spun at her, Mystique found herself hard pressed to keep up her assault while dodging the spinning bars., Flipping through the air to avoid one as it curved around again, she landed against a stone column that had been carved out of the asteroid - a support column, she absently realized - in the in the center of the room, just managing to leap again in time to avoid it as it came at her. Her eyes widened slightly as the bar sliced through the stone; she definitely could not let that hit her.

Network made her decision as she saw the woman who signed her checks - figuratively; the money was actually directly wired from one account to another - being pressed by Magneto's attack. This whole thing had turned to hell in a handbasket anyway, and a good businesswoman knew when to cut her losses and run. '**Toad!' **She directed through the link, '**Aid Mystique!"**

Toad didn't need to be told twice, leaping in front of Mystique and snagging one of the spinning pieces of metal with his hand, then lashed out with his tongue to snag the other in mid-air.

Mystique, now free of the spinning bars of death, again leaped at Magneto with a foot extended.

Not deterred, Magneto pulled a another piece of equipment and flung it at Mystique, striking her hard in the stomach and pushing her back. His eyes widened and he tried to stop the momentum as he realized where it was pushing her to. "No!" He cried out as a bright blue light burst out of his machine. "My enhancer! Get out of there!" He demanded, flying in after her.

On the otherside of the room, Spyke felt a sensation of deja-vu as Quicksilver ran circles around him. "Came back for more, eh Evan?" He taunted, ignoring Network's order to stop fooling around with the boy - he just couldn't resist a chance to show his rival who was better.

Spyke rolled his eyes, "C'mon, Pietro," he said, firing off a dozen sharp spikes into the speedsters path. "We already did this. Get some new moves already."

Quicksilver skidded to a stop as he swerved to avoid the spikes. "Woah, tire hazard!" he quipped, mentally patting himself on the back for being so damn funny even in the heat of battle. He stopped on the other side of the spikes, staring down the boy who had originated them. He frowned as he saw his rival grin, and turned around just in time to see Rogue as she pressed a bare hand against his face. Letting out a groan, he fell unconscious.

Storm's eyes were glowing blue as she sent blast after blast of lighting at the pile of fallen rock that blocked the doorway to the Observation Deck, frowning as each one proved ineffective.

"Cut it out with the tremors, man!" Blob yelled at Avalanche as the pair regained consciousness and pulled themselves to their feet. The entire asteroid was now shaking violently, and chunks of rock and metal were falling all around.

"It's not me!" Avalanche retorted, "This rock's breakin' apart! Forget Magneto and this whole stupid thing, man, we all gotta get outta here."

"About time you figured it out," Network shot back as she ran up to the duo. "Blob, break through the wall that's blocking Storm! That jet of theirs is our only way out of here!"

Blob nodded, sparing a second to glare at the two. He'd get back at them for leaving him and Toad behind later; right now, survival was what mattered. "COMIN' THROUGH!" He yelled, rushing towards Storm, who managed to spring away just as the massive teen plowed through the rock, creating the needed opening. Network, Toad and Avalanche quickly followed after him, making their way down the corridor that had been opened up without another look back.

Storm turned to Spyke and Shadowcat, the former carrying the still-unconscious Quicksilver. "Get aboard the jet!" She ordered. She turned as Rogue sped towards her, using the borrowed speed from the unconscious Maximoff.

"Scott an' his brother are still buried!" Rogue told the other woman, "An' Wolverine's got his hands full with Sabertooth!"

"Go!" Storm ordered, grimacing; this was no time for Wolverine's vendetta with Sabertooth. Rogue ran off, and the weather witch began spinning rapidly, creating a tornado around herself. Spinning towards the fight with Wolverine and Sabertooth, she picked the latter up and spun him into a wall, knocking a large section of the ceiling down on the feral mutant.

Meanwhile, Ranma and Jean were still digging out Scott and Alex while Xavier tried to contact them telepathically to ensure that they were alright. His danger sense flaring, Ranma leaped back as a red blast of concussive force shot upwards through the rock, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. Covering his nose and mouth, Ranma watched as both Summers stepped out, coughing.

Seeing the three standing before them, Scott scowled. "You and the others," He declared angrily, "You're ruining everything! This was out chancel our chance to unite, all of us!"

"Unite?" Jean questioned, her voice taking a tone of disbelief, "Unite what? And at what cost? Look what Magneto did to you!"

"He's helped me!" Scott retorted, "I'm evolved. No more training, no more hurdles. My powers are now at my mercy."

"Uh-huh," Jean scoffed, "So you blasted your friends with it. How united is that?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Right," Ranma said, rolling his eyes. "You really think that creep did this for yer own good? He used you ta attack yer friends, and he's gonna use ya again." He kicked a chuck of rock at Scott, striking him in the forehead. "I'd love to stay and kick your asses fer bein' a coupla jerks, but screw it, I'm outta here." Putting action to words, he ran off to join the others at the jet. Jean and Xavier could handle this better than he could.

"None of you understand," Alex said, stepping forward, "We ARE the future!"

"Are not!" Ranma shot back as he ran, dodging a large chunk of falling rock before disappearing out of sight.

"R-really, Scott?" Jean asked, staring at him sadly, "Are-are you the future?" She closed her eyes and turned away, walking after Ranma. "Because if you are, I don't want any part of it."

"You're right," Xavier told the boys, his tone one of disappointment, "Mutants should not be divided. But we didn't draw the line, Magneto did." He turned his chair away. "And you just crossed over it."

"Man," Scott said, lowering his head. Their words had gotten to him, despite the apparent lack of emotion Magneto had thrust on him. He turned to Alex, who had a similar expression on his face. "What were we thinking?"

"What about the boys?" Wolverine asked as the Professor rolled by him.

"They'll do what they must," Xavier answered softly, making his way towards the door. Wolverine shot the boys one last glance before following after him.

The asteoid continued to break apart at a more rapid pace. Support beams and large chunks of rock crashing down all around and machinery exploded as it was struck with the falling debris.

As Asteroid M was breaking up, the second door to the enhancer finally opened and Mystique stepped out calmly, ignoring the destruction around her. She had gained half a foot in height, and he clothes had shifted from the white tunic to black leather miniskirt and a black leather top that cut off just above the midriff. Aside from that, however, no other changes were apparent to the naked eye.

Mystique looked down at herself and growled. She didn't look any different, but she could feel the power that flowed through her veins. She felt stronger and faster, but what other changes had occurred would have to wait to be discovered; she had to get off this asteroid.

Sparing a glance back into chamber where Magneto still was, she made a silent wish for him to die with the rock they were on before running off to the escape pods.

* * *

At the jet, Wolverine had speedily finished the start-up sequence was preparing for takeoff. Taking hold of the controls, he glanced back to where Jean was still standing at the open door.

Jean stared hopefully at the asteroid, praying that Scott and his brother would come to their senses and follow them out. She spared a glance at Xavier.

"We could not force them," He said, answering her unspoken question, "They're too powerful."

"I could have!" Ranma yelled over, while at the same time Jean's face lit up and she exclaimed "Here they come!"

The white-haired boys were running at full speed towards the jet when a shockwave ripped through the asteroid, causing the platform the jet was on to break away from the rest of it. Stopping with looks of fear, Scott and Alex watched the jet as it fell out of sight. Moments later, the asteroid was rocked with another, much larger explosion, sending both boys flying through the air and off the side.

Alex grabbed Scott's hand as they feel, and the older brother was reminded of they're jump out of the airplane ten years ago. This time, however, neither would let go. Giving each other a nod, both boys looked towards the ground. Twin blast, one of golden-orange energy and another of ruby-red concussive force shot towards the ground, melting the ice below and slowing their descent.

Looking up as the Blackbird appeared overhead, Scott smiled as the entry hatch opened and Jean leaned out.

"Scott!" She called out happily.

The boys were about to jump in when several massive chunks of asteroid fell to the ground, just missing the jet but sending it spinning when it tried to take-off. Landing hard against the ground, the jets petered out.

Looking up, Scott and Alex saw several explosions rock Asteroid M, and two metal pods shot out of it at the last second before several more explosions occurred, and whatever mechanism that kept the rock in the sky failed.

Looking over at his brother, Scott knew they had only one option; that rock was falling too fast, and the jet was momentarily out of commission. "Ready bro?" He asked.

"Ready!" Alex replied. Summoning energy in both of his hands as Scot's eyes began to glow red, the pair simultaneously unleashed all of their evolved power at the mutant sanctuary. Groaning at the strain as both blasts slammed into the falling rock, they ignored the pain and increased the power, forcing the blasts all the way through. The asteroid exploded in a violent burst, and dust shot in every direction as chunks of rock disintegrated in the explosion.

Scott and Alex both feel to their knees, breathing heavily, the over use of their powers having exhausted their bodies and the energy they contained from the enhancement, reverting them back to the previous forms. Scott immediately shut his eyes as he lost the ability to control his optic blasts.

"Easy Scott," he heard Jean's voice say softly.

"Jean," He gasped out, looking in the direction of the voice, "Is everyone okay?"

"See for yourself", she responded, and slipped a pair of his shades onto his face. He absently realized how comfortable they felt as he opened his eyes, his world once more bathed in a ruby-red tint. The first sight he saw was her face, and though she was smiling, he had a feeling he was going to get an earful later.

Looking towards the jet, he saw the combined X-Men and Brotherhood standing outside of it, looking at him and Alex.

"Man," Ranma said, shooting a grin at Scott as he watched the last of the asteroid explode. "I toldja there'd be a really cool explosion at the end of this! That was fun, let's do it again!"

Rogue smirked and elbowed him in the stomach half-heartedly. "You gotta 'nother asteroid we can go an' blow up?" She teased, leaning back into the arm he had around her shoulders.

Scott lowered his head, "I'm sorry," he apologized, "to all of you - Professor, I just - y'know - I just made some bad choices."

"More like misinformed choices," Xavier said as he approached with the rest of the X-Men. "But we owe you our lives; both you, and your brother."

"Still," Ranma said, "Yer gettin' the gophers again for bein' such an ass."

Scott winced. "Oh, c'mon..." he pleaded, "I wasn't that bad, was I?"

Underneath the Blackbird, the Brotherhood sat talking amongst themselves while the X-Men were having their own little group chat.

"Feh," Todd grunted, "Wonder what's gonna happen to us."

"Two metal spheres shot out into the sky before that asteroid went kablooey," Lance pointed out.

Nabiki nodded. "Yep," she agreed, "Boss-lady is still out there, although I doubt we or she will be working under Magneto anymore. Which suits me just fine; megalomania is surprisingly bad for business." She smacked Pietro in the back of the head. "What did I tell you? You're dad is nuts!"

"Yeah yeah, " Pietro groaned.

Alex sighed, looking over at his brother. "Well," he said, "So much for Havok, huh?"

Scott grinned, "Ah, the white hair looked lousy on ya anyway." He said, ruffling Alex's hair.

"Feh," Ranma said, "Don't need no stupid codename anyway." His interjection, was of course, ignored by the others and answered with an elbow to the gut from Rogue, who hissed into his ear. "Quiet! It's a tender moment!"

"Fine," Ranma whispered back, "But if it turns into another damn group hug, we're outta here, right?"

"Oh yeah," Rogue answered, nodding emphatically.

"Well," Alex said to Scott with a grin, "At least I got my brother back. And that's what really matter to me."

Scott smiled pulling Alex in for a hug. "Yeah," he agreed, "Me too. And I promise, nothing is ever gonna split us up again."

"With time, Alex, "Xavier said, "Your powers will emerge on their own. And, if you allow us, we will be there to help you along the way. All of us, together and unified," he continued, "Because we, are the X-Men."

"Nice speech," Ranma said after what he deemed to be an appropriate amount of silence, "But can we get going now? I'm late for my challenge match with the pig."

Rogue rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the gut. "Is fightin' still all ya eva' think about?" She gasped and jumped into the air a second later, her hands grabbing at her behind. Turning around, she saw Ranma grin.

"Nope," He whispered into her ear, "I got a few other things ta occupy my thoughts now too."

Rogue grinned and stared him in the eyes. "Ah hate cats."

Ranma bit his lip and let out a pleasurable moan, and scooping the goth girl up into his arms, leaning in and capturing her lips with his own in a passionate kiss.

"Jezz, you two," Kitty said from the sidelines, "Like, totally get a room already."

Ranma pulled away, and the two blushed. "Hey," Ranma said, trying to defend himself,"We just kicked some major ass. The hero has ta kiss the girl an' all that crap. It's in the rules."

Jean smirked. "But Scott and Alex were the heroes in the end, not you."

"Feh," Ranma muttered, "I shoulda been."

"But you weren't," Nabiki said, suddenly appearing beside Scott and running her hand up his chest, "And I think the actual hero deserves his reward now..." She grinned and grabbed Scott by the collar, pulling the surprised boy's lips into her own in a deep kiss. Scott lost all control of his mental capabilities as Nabiki's tongue entered his mouth.

"Umm, hey?" Alex said hopefully after a moment. "Other hero standin' over here."

Nabiki pulled away from Scott, smirking as the brown-haired boy fell to the ground in shock. "Fine," She said after looking Alex over, "I guess you get one too." She leaned in and gave him a chaste peck on the cheek. Laughing at Jean's scowl, Nabiki walked away to rejoin her team.

"If we're done here," Logan growled over the Blackbird's speakers, "The jet is ready."

"If I remember my American movies correctly," Kurt said as the group boarded the jet, "This is the part where someone says 'Yes... lets go home,' right?"

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Wow," Ranma said as he looked over Ryouga's beaten and bruised form. "This is different. First time I ever won a fight before I even showed up..."

"Is he alive?" Rogue asked, poking him with a stick.

"Well, he's breathing," Kitty said, then added, "I think."

Ryouga let out a groan and rolled over. "Ranma..." he said weakly, unable to even open his eyes. "Your mom... hits harder... than you do..." He groaned again, rolling over and slipping back into unconsciousness.

Ranma blinked, glancing over at Kurt. "Did he just make a 'yo' momma' joke, or did mom really do this?"

Kurt shrugged. "Mother was really pissed at him about the coma-thing."

"Ah, crap," Ranma said, shoving his hands in his pockets as the group walked away. "He's probably gonna find a way to blame me fer this too..."

* * *

End Chapter Eleven

* * *

End Evolution 1/2, Season One.

* * *

Author's Note: I figured since 'The Cauldron' was originally one hour-long uber-episode, the chapter based on 'The Cauldron' should be an extra long uber-chapter. I managed to break 23,000 words at the lat count I did, 13,000 more than my standard 10,000 word minimum. Most of this chapter was written before even the rewrite of Chapter One was posted, though, so that aided quite a bit in getting it out so soon; all I had to to was change a few things around.

So that's the end of the first season of Evolution 1/2. In Season Two, I plan to break away from using the lines and actions from most of the episodes, although many of the plots will still occur. Season Two will also introduce quite a few new characters, and I don't just mean the new students at the Institute. Relationships will develop, and relationships will break, people will fight, and people will... not fight. And Ranma's actual powers will be officially revealed - when Beast arrives - to all those who have not yet managed to figure it out; however, if you need me to tell you by now, you do not get a cookie.

Originally, the rematch with Ryouga was going to be in this chapter, and I'm willing to bet quite a few of you out there are disappointed that it wasn't. But I saw the chance for Mystique to get some revenge on Ryouga, and I took it, opening up more potential conflict in future chapters.

Nabiki has learned the man in charge of her organization is not as sane or rational as a leader should be. And despite her little kiss with Scott, don't go thinking she's going to switch sides and join the X-Men. Just thought I'd clear that up before anyone goes assumin' such a thing.

A minor note: Anything left vague, like how Ranma used gophers for Scott's training, or how Mystique used Cabbage Patch dolls and razorwire to punish the Brotherhood, is left vague on purpose. It's like 'The Noodle Incident' from Calvin and Hobbes; if you ever learn exactly what happened, it loses it's mystery. It's much better to leave such things up to your imagination, because your imagination will create something far worse than I could ever write.

Fun fact: As I told some of you in responses to reviews, the scene at the end of the last chapter, between Kitty and Rogue, as taken word-for-word from something that actuall happened in front of me two years ago, between my then-girlfriend and her best friend. That incident has convinced me that girls who are that close just simply 'know' when their friends have done something.

I remember having more to say here, but I'm tired and I can't remember it all.


	12. Chapter 12

**Evolution 1/2**

* * *

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, the new guy wasn't as funny as we thought he would be; we misunderstood "writing for Conan" on his resume to mean 'O'Brien', not 'the Barbarian'. Who, as you know, isn't very funny. So, we're doing interviews for new funny disclaimer people, but until then, I don't own either Ranma 1/2 or X-Men: Evolution.

* * *

Chapter 12

* * *

The sun was making it's slow ascent into morning sky, casting rays of brilliant golden orange through the large windows of the Xavier Institute. Numerous pairs of eyes clenched shut tightly as their owners turned over with groans of protest against the intrusion of the unwanted light, pulling covers over their heads and planting faces against pillows in an effort to remain within the grip of Morpheus. 

In the room of one such protester, a figure crept slowly and silently, wincing for a brief moment as a loud creak came from the wooden floor below. His eyes darted towards the sleeping figure not three feet from him, staring intently for any signs of the target rousing from slumber. Quietly releasing a baited breath after several minutes passed and no change, the figure continued forward, his feet treading even softer than before.

Reaching the edge of the bed, the figure stared down at the sleeping form, assessing the situation and the best method with which to carry through his mission. Any sudden attacks would be dealt with effortlessly, so obviously the best approach would be to come at the target in a manner that did not seem threatening at all. Likewise, however, the foe's mutant abilities would make the mission even more difficult; sleeping in only a pair of boxers, - which the figure would not even consider touching - the target had no other places with which to establish physical contact without the nullification of the figure's own mutant abilities.

Abilities which could only work with direct contact, and the use of which were vital to the success of the mission.

Frowning, the figure puzzled over the situation for another minute before inspiration struck. The pigtail.

It seemed almost set up; the halo of light coming through the window, bathing the pigtail on the pillow and nothing else, helped to establish this idea. It seemed as if fate had a hand in this endeavor of great importance, lending the support of the heavens to the cause.

Nodding decisively, a malicious grin forming on the figure's face, he reached out a three-fingered hand slowly and lightly took hold of the pigtail. Seconds later, both the figure and his sleeping target vanished in a flash of light and a puff of gray smoke.

* * *

Even without opening his eyes, Ranma could tell something was off. His normally firm yet comfortable mattress that molded to his form perfectly appeared to have been replaced during the night. Replaced with a hard wooden surface, oak by the feel of the grain, unless Ranma was mistaken. Not that it really bothered him much; he'd slept just fine on much harder surfaces throughout his youth. The covers had vanished as well, but with the knowledge that the mattress was gone, this fact wasn't too hard to comprehend. Again, this did not warrant the opening of his eyes; he often kicked the blankets off in the night anyway. 

So far in this split-second analysis, Ranma had found nothing to truly worry about. Based on the current hypothesis, obviously he had rolled out of bed in the night, and was currently sleeping on the hardwood floor of his bedroom. It wasn't that big of a matter, and in actuality, he was rather comfortable at the moment.

Deciding to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary, Ranma almost lazily spread his senses, and was quickly able to determine that there were no current threats in the area. However, his scan of his surrounding area did pick up several familiar signatures, all of which were currently surrounding him.

His eyes snapping open instantly, the first thing his gaze focused on was the eyes of another. A pair of increasingly familiar and very welcome beautiful green orbs. His eyes soon came into better focus, and the rest of the image resolved into a pale yet beautiful face, full lips painted a light purple quirking upwards into a small smile. The owner of said eyes, lips, and indeed, entire face, had her arms crossed on top of the wooden surface, chin resting comfortably on them.

"Mornin', Ranma." The lips opened, a soft voice laced with a Southern drawl escaping from them.

"Uh... mornin' Rogue," Ranma replied, a slightly nervous tone to his voice. "Umm... what are ya doin'?"

Her smirk remained in place as she answered, "Watchin' yah sleep."

Ranma gulped slightly. This was very odd. "Yeah..." He said hesitantly, "Okay, while I'm oddly flattered, and I know we're in a relationship, I havta let ya know, sneakin' into my room ta watch me sleep kinda borderlines on creepy."

Rogue's smile grew into a full-blown grin. "An what makes yah think any of us are in yer room?"

Ranma blinked. Us? Oh, that's right; he'd felt several other presences around him beside Rogue. Sitting up, his gaze slowly spun to take in the sight of the kitchen. A kitchen currently filled with most of his fellow housemates. Why was he sleeping in the kitchen? Had he fallen asleep again when getting a midnight snack? And further, what was everyone else doing up at this hour? He was usually one of, if not the first person awake in the morning.

"So," He finally asked, his calm tone hiding the embarrassment he was feeling, "Why didn't any of ya wake me up an' let me know I was sleepin' half naked in the kitchen?"

"We were going to," Scott said, not bothering to hide his amusement at the situation, "but we didn't want to ruin Kurt's fun."

Seeing the taller boy point to his chest, Ranma looked down to see an upside-down -from his perspective - message written in what looked to be German. Looking up, he narrowed his eyes, slid off the kitchen table and smashed his way through the door.

"KUUURT!"

* * *

Sitting at his desk in the private office of his home, Kocho Kuno yawned as he went through the reports of the past month. Normally, at this late hour, he would have simply put them aside and gone to bed, but they had already been pushed aside for three weeks now, and his superiors were starting to get annoyed. And as much as he trusted in his job security, making any of superiors too upset with him was not a good idea. 

Which is why, at this late hour, he was compiling all the information from his factors and his leader's other agents into a single, simple, streamlined progress report.

"Hmmm," He muttered, "Mystique has gone missing, possibly rogue..."

That was interesting, but not completely unexpected. It was no secret among the lower echelons of Magneto's followers that the shapeshifter loathed the man, and only stuck with him because it was beneficial to her own agenda. But now, it appears as if that agenda now included splitting from the Master of Magnetism and going off on her own. Which Kocho knew Magneto would not approve of; no one escaped his grasp unless he let them.

Kocho hmmed again before placing the report back in the plain manila folder. It was too bad; he had enjoyed working with the woman, despite her constant threats. But the woman had gone rogue, which meant he had no obligation to provide her with any further information.

In fact, he was now technically required to inform one of his superiors if she came into contact with him again, but that would require too much effort.

Looking over another report, he wasn't surprised to find out Mystique's team had begun to split from Magneto as well. Good riddance; they had failed too many missions as it was, and they were just children anyway. Magneto may have a desire to help shape the minds of the future generations of mutants, but Kocho couldn't be bothered with the whims and rebellions of teenagers. His own children, when he bothered to do so, were trouble enough to keep under control.

The next sheet was no surprise either; Magneto was searching for a new base team for missions, and wanted reports of every unaffiliated mutant they had files on. What's more, it appeared that he would be training them himself instead of leaving the task to a subordinate, to ensure their loyalty. Kocho could definitely help with that; all files of new mutants were sent directly to him for processing and storing in his mind, so he could prove capable of tracking them later. While his powers only gave him information on mutants in his general area - limited to a twenty-five mile radius - once he had assimilated a full profile, he was capable, with effort, of locating them anywhere on Earth.

Kocho 'hmmed' once again as he went through his mental records, his pupils sinking back and leaving only the whites of his eyes. "The Australian... maybe the Russian as well, if he can be... coerced." He muttered to himself, making some quick notes on a nearby legal pad.

"This will require some more consideration," He concluded, going back to the reports.. His eyes widened slightly as he finished reading it, and he made another note on the legal pad.

Sighing, Kocho put the report away and looked over at the large stack he had yet to read through. Dammit, megalomania wasn't supposed to involve so much damn paperwork! Pushing himself out of his chair, Kocho left the den and made his way to the kitchen; maybe a snack break would help him concentrate.

As he was gathering the ingredients for a grilled cheese sandwich, Kocho looked up suddenly, the palm tree on his head flaring. "Kodachi...Five days," He muttered after a moment as his eyes returned to normal.

"What was that father?" A weak voice asked from the doorway.

"It be nothin', 'dachi-chan," He said with an idiotic grin, looking over at his daughter. His eyes widened when he saw her. She was leaning against the doorway in a black rose-patterned bathrobe, seemingly in pain. Her eyes were partially glazed over, and her skin had greenish tinge to it. Her hair was a mess and out of it's usual side-ponytail, hanging bedraggled down her back.

"Dachi-chan!" He exclaimed running to her side, "What be de madda, keiki?" He asked concernedly. While admittedly, he wasn't much of a father, Kodachi was the child he liked, and he hated to see her in such a state.

"I am alright, father," Kodachi replied, trying to maintain her normal haughty tone, an illusion which was dispelled when she burst out into a fit of hacking coughs. "Although perhaps it might be prudent to contact a physician, just in case." She smiled weakly.

Kocho nodded, standing up and pulling out his cell phone. He had expected the awakening of his daughter's x-gene would carry with it some kind of physical pain - most awakenings did, after all - but he had not expected something this drastic.

After calling the Kunoi family personal physician and putting his daughter back to bed while they awaited his arrivel, Kocho dialed another number long since memorized. After speaking for a few moments, he returned to his office and made another note on the legal pad.

* * *

"Okay," Nabiki said, sitting down at the breakfast table with the rest of her team. "It's been almost three weeks, and Mystique hasn't come back yet." 

"So?" Lance asked, buttering a piece of toast, "She'll be back eventually."

"Yes, I know," Nabiki agreed, "But in the meantime, we have to figure out where we stand and what we are going to be doing from here on out." She glanced at Pietro, "And calling in your dad is not an option; we work for Mystique, not Magneto. We have already agreed on this fact."

"What is there ta figure out, yo?" Todd asked, "We ain't joinin' the loser squad, that's fer sure."

"Damn right, " Lance agreed, "I may not go for Magneto's ideas of 'ruling over humanity', but I sure as hell ain't stupid enough to buy into Xavier's 'peaceful mission' bullcrap."

"Exactly," Nabiki said with a nod. "As of now, until Mystique gets back, we're essentially neutral, for lack of a better term, and on our own. My paychecks are still coming in, so we don't need to rely on her for finances." When Mystique had disappeared, Nabiki had been worried she wouldn't get her salary anymore. She was happy to have discovered, however, their shapeshifting leader had a near-bottomless account, and that her paychecks were set-up to wire directly into her own savings every two weeks.

"Whatever," Blob said absently, pouring himself a second mixing bowl full of cereal, "As long as we still get ta mix it up with the twerps now and then, I don't care."

"Oh, of course we will; have to keep them on their toes, after all." Nabiki said with a grin. "Until she gets back, however," Nabiki continued, "I am in charge. And I think, if we're going to stay on a even footing with the X-Men, we have to get better and stronger."

"How we gonna do that?" Pietro asked, "Mystique isn't here to train us in the morning anymore, and Ranma is still giving the X-men martial arts lessons. We've already fallen behind them since she's been gone."

Nabiki grinned widely, "That, I already have covered," She said, placing five plane tickets on the table. "Pack your bags, boys. We're spending the summer with my family."

* * *

Ranma walked slowly between the rest of his team as they practiced the forms he had shown them earlier in the session, absently smacking one of them in the back of the head whenever he saw them slip up. They were getting better, he admitted to himself; last week he'd only had to smack four of them. 

However, his mind was not on the instruction of his friends; it had been three weeks since Asteroid M, and his mother had yet to return. He knew she was still out there; he could feel it in his gut, plus the Brotherhood had insisted that they saw two of Magneto's transport orbs escape the explosion. His mother wouldn't let something like the explosion of an asteroid keep her down, so he knew one of them had to have been hers.

But where was she? She hadn't even tried to make contact as far as he knew, and the Brotherhood had yet to hear from her either. So where could she be? Normally, he would have gone out and started looking for her again, but that wasn't something he could do any more. He had obligations, and students, not to mention a very sexy girlfriend he'd be leaving behind if he went out looking for her. Not to mention the moment he left, that's probably when she'd come back; his luck was like that.

So all he could do at the moment was wait and worry, although he knew it was foolish to worry about her. His mother was a very capable, resourceful and intelligent woman - almost too resourceful and intelligent, he thought himself, chuckling nervously as he remembered some of the plans his teammates had told him she had used before his arrival. But he still worried. He'd only gotten to get to know her a little over the past several weeks since he'd found her, and now she had vanished again.

Kurt was supportive, although Ranma could tell his half-brother wasn't as concerned about it as he was. He understood why, of course; their mother hadn't given the blue-furred boy much reason or cause to trust her in the time he'd known the woman. Ranma hoped Kurt would be able to put that in the past with time, but he doubted that would be possible, especially if Mystique continued to oppose Xavier.

Ranma frowned as he recalled the prank Kurt had pulled on him that morning. Oh yeah, his little brother was definitely going to get the 'personal session' today.

A few days after they had escaped Asteroid M, Logan had made good on his promise to take care of their survival training. Ranma had found it to be an enjoyable week-and-a-half; the older man had taken them into the Canadian wilderness with nothing but the clothes on their backs and rudimentary supplies. Supplies which didn't include tents or food.

And then he'd left them there, disappearing in the middle of the night. He hadn't actually disappeared, of course; Ranma had been able to sense the man, always hiding within a close distance if anything ever got out of hand, but the pigtailed boy hadn't told the others that.

The next week and a half had been very difficult for the others, many of them cursing Logan with every breath. For Ranma, it had merely brought about feelings of nostalgia, reminding him of the survival training his father had put him through. Of course, Logan had replaced the angry Aborigines with grizzly bears, the forest fire with legions of fire ants, and the rock slide with more grizzly bears, but everything else was surprisingly similar. Hunting for your own food, building your own shelter, making the clothes you had on you last as long as possible.

It had been great fun, and he'd also been able to get some good training in. He could now create his null touch in less than a minute, and while he was making progress on projecting it into an attack, he could tell he still had a long way to go; there was some vital aspect to the idea he simply wasn't grasping yet.

When they had returned, however, Ranma had learned that Ryouga, who had been recovering in the infirmary from the beating Mystique had given him, had vanished. Apparently, he had gotten up to use the bathroom and never returned. Tofu had said the boy was almost fully recovered, although apparently his ki pathways had yet to completely repair themselves. Which meant the rematch between them would have to be delayed until Ryouga could find his way back to the mansion. Again.

In that time, however, Ranma had thrown himself into his training, anticipating that the pig-cursed boy would do the same. He'd gone so long without facing someone who could give him a good fight, he was actually getting impatient for the Lost Boy to show up again - or, sure, Logan could put up a good fight, and was a great sparring partner, but the man wasn't a martial artist. His students/teammates were coming along nicely, especially Scott and Rogue, but they were still years away from giving him the sort of challenge Ryouga could.

Xavier had offered to use Cerebro to locate the boy, but Ranma had waved away the offer; the telepath was already scouring the globe for any traces of Mystique and Magpie, who had yet to be located, along with locating new mutants.

Ranma frowned at the thought of the Master of Magnetism; that guy was a jerk, and as much as Ranma hated to wish such a thing on anyone, he hoped the man had been turned into the dust with the rest of his stupid asteroid. The fact that the man had claimed to be behind many of the stranger incidents in his life added to this desire to never see the guy again, but the reasoning behind it all had gotten the pigtailed boy wondering. Magoogoo had said it was all in an effort to discover what Ranma's powers were.

That really confused Ranma; his powers were nullification, weren't they? That's what happened whenever he touched someone, so what else could his powers be?

But the nullification was supposedly a 'by-product of his actual abilities', and Maggie had seemed so certain of the fact. And while Ranma didn't trust the man in the slightest, he had been able to tell the man was telling the truth - or at least, what he believed to be the truth. Which is why, every day since he had returned from the survival training, he had allowed Xavier and Tofu to subject him to a number of tests in order to determine what it could be. Ranma had a feeling the men weren't telling him everything they had figured out, but he trusted them both enough to know they would tell him when they figured everything out.

"Alright!" Ranma barked, noting the time by the position of the sun. "Jean an' Pryde, ten minutes of light sparring. Evan, grow a pair of bone-staffs and spar with Scott, weapons only fer now, same amount of time. Rogue, speed drills until Jean an' Pryde are done. Kurt," He grinned maliciously, "You get personal trainin' today."

Kurt groaned; he knew his brother was getting back at him for the prank that morning; which had been retaliation for Ranma tying his tail to the bedpost when he slept. He ignored the snickers from the others as he walked over to where Ranma was, his tail drooping against the grass.

"Okay, little bro," Ranma said, his grin never slipping. "Whatcha gotta do, is-"

"Ranma!" He was cut off by Ororo calling his name form the back door. "Telephone!"

Ranma looked up and shot an annoyed look at the device in her hand. "Who is it? I'm busy!"

"They will not say,"

"Then take a message!"

"They say it is urgent," Ororo countered, waiting for the boy to just give in and take the damn phone from her.

Ranma sighed. "Be right there," he called back to her, then turned to Kurt. "Okay, new plan. Rogue!" He called out to the goth girl, gesturing for her to come over when she looked up.

"Okay, Rogue, gloves off." Ranma grinned, turning to Kurt. "Your objective is to keep Rogue from touchin' you. No portin', and ta make things a bit more fun..." Ranma suddenly vanished from sight, and Kurt suddenly felt his hands tied together behind his back with thick rope. Another second later, his world went dark as he felt a blindfold being tied around his head.

Ranma whispered something in Rogue's ear, causing her to grin and begin circling around the blue-furred boy. Ranma watched for a moment and smirked, then, headed over to the door to take the phone from Ororo.

"Yeah?" He asked, a tone of irritation in his voice. This had better be important.

"Ranma?"

His eyes widened at the familiar voice. "Mom?" He asked hesitantly.

"I can't talk for long, but I just wanted to call to let you know I was alright. I'm going to be away for a little while taking care of some things, but I will try and get in contact as often as I can."

"Mom, I-"

"I have to go now, sweetie. I'll call again soon, I promise."

"Mom, wait!" Ranma said quickly, but the only answer he got was a dial tone. Dammit, first time in weeks he had a sign his mother was still out there, and he couldn't get a word in edgewise. So not fair. Sighing, he put the phone down on a nearby table and walked back outside. Oh well... at least that was one mystery solved.

* * *

"Alright," Nabiki said as she and the Brotherhood walked through JFK International airport. She was carrying a small carry-on, while the boys behind her were each loaded down with several pieces of luggage. "Our plane leaves in an hour and a half from gate 10, which is just a little further up." She glanced over her shoulder, "Got it, boys?" 

"Yeah, we got it," Lance grumbled, "But what I don't get is why we have to carry all yer stuff." He himself had a small duffel bag and nothing else.

"Because you're a bunch of big strong boys, and I'm a woman in need of some big strong men to carry my things. Besides," she added with a playful smirk, "It's good strength training. Or something like that."

"What ish all thish shtuff, anyway?" Todd asked, his words muffled slightly by the strap of his own duffel bag being held between his yellow teeth.

"Gifts for my sisters," Nabiki replied absently, stopping as she spotted someone, "So be damn careful with them, got it? The gate it just a little further up; I'll be right behind you, I just need to take care of a little business, kay?" She walked off without waiting for an answer.

A fair distance away, and coincidentally at the end of Nabiki's path, a pair of young women were waiting for their bags at one of the luggage carousels.

"I'm still not sure this was a good idea," Melinda told her companion as they stood waiting for their luggage to arrive. "Mom and dad are going to be pissed, not to mention Aunt Hazel and Uncle Winston." She shivered, adding, "Oh man, will they be _furious_ with you."

"Yes they will," Her companion said calmly, a smirk adorning her perfect features. She was a beautiful young girl, looking to be about Melinda's age. She was almost a mirror image of her companion, with bright blue eyes and long platinum blond hair that held a slight wave to it as it flowed down to reach the middle of her back. Her body was as perfectly formed as her face, showing off a figure that many women would kill for, barely concealed beneath a pair of tight white leather pants and an equally tight white half-shirt which barely held in her impressive bust. One could also see below her shirt - if their eyes ever made it that far down - her navel was pierced with a small diamond stud. Complimenting the outfit were a pair of high-heeled white leather boots, a pair of white fingerless gloves, and a white choker. Her ears were pierced from top to bottom, ending with a pair of dangling diamond earrings that looked to cost more than her entire outfit. The eyes of many of the men in the airport were on her, and she carried herself in a way that showed she knew this fact, and accepted it as the way things simply should be.

"Oh yes, they will be very upset," She repeated, her smirk still present, "But there is nothing that they can do about it. Besides, Boston in the summer is so boring, and I think being here, helping you win this boy you are so enamored with, will be far more exciting than country clubs and stuffy social gatherings with a bunch of rich fools pretending to like each other."

"Emma," Melinda said, her tone sounding as if this was something they had talked about extensively. "I told you, right now the best option is a temporary strategic withdrawal. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, after all."

"And I have told you," Emma countered, "That allowing him to be alone with this 'Rogue' girl for three whole months is a mistake that could cost you any chance with the boy. And if you are correct in your belief that they have already had sex, then your chances have already diminished a fair amount as it is."

Melinda scowled at the mention of her rival's name. "I don't know for certain that they have slept together," She said, "But I do know something happened, and they're much closer than they used to be." She sighed. "I don't know why he keeps turning me down."

"You're throwing yourself at him, that's why."

Both Frosts turned to look at the new voice that had entered their conversation. Melinda's face lit up in recognition after a moment. "Huh? Nabiki Tendo, right? What do you mean by that?"

Nabiki smirked. "I already gave you a free sample, Ms. Frost," She said, "I'm afraid you will have to pay for anything more."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "And why should we trust anything you have to say?" She didn't like people eavesdropping on her, and already something about this nosy girl rubbed her the wrong way.

"Because I happen to know all there is TO know about the boy," Nabiki replied calmly, "By the way, Ms. Frost, I thought you were going to be spending the summer in Boston with your cousins. Am I correct in assuming that this is no longer the case, and that this woman is a relation of yours?"

"We don't have to answer that," Emma replied, cutting Melinda off, then shooting a cold smirk at Nabiki. "Not without payment, that is."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow and scanned Emma's surface thoughts. Her expression didn't waver, but she was surprised to find nothing; not like when she scanned Ranma, which caused her mind to slip around his. She was able to enter the other blond girl's head, but it appeared as if nothing was on the surface. Was the girl a mutant, or did she merely keep her thoughts as concealed as she did her emotions? "Perhaps we could come to an arrangement," Nabiki offered, putting the matter aside for the moment. "Information exchange on a quid pro quo basis?"

Emma considered the offer, then shook her head. "I am afraid not. You would get the better end of the deal, as you claim to know everything about the boy. The information we can offer about ourselves is limited, and would not equal all we wish to know about Ranma."

Forcing her expression to remain calm and neutral, Nabiki frowned inwardly. This girl was good. "Then I suppose we shall have to return to my former offer." She reached into her carry-on bag, pulling out a plain manila folder. "I have here all you could ever want to know about Ranma Saotome, at least for the purposes you have in mind, and it contains a full personality profile, something you will not be able to obtain through any other source."

It wasn't luck that Nabiki happened to have file on her at the moment. Her carry-on contained the hard copies of all the profiles she kept, as she was not trusting enough to leave them behind at the house, nor let them out of her sight and into the potentially sticky fingers of baggage handlers. They contained no truly confidential information such as his status as a mutant or anything else out of the ordinary. What's more, this one of Ranma in particular Nabiki had been planning to sell to Melinda anyway, when the next school year started. It was luck, however, that she happened to run into the blond here.

Melinda eyed the folder curiously, wondering if the other girl was telling the truth. "I'm not sure," She said casually, "Emma?"

"At first glance, it seems like a good investment," Emma admitted, "But I never purchase anything without seeing it beforehand."

Nabiki smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Really now," She responded, pulling a sheet out of the folder. "I suppose I can allow you a glance." Nabiki agreed, handing the sheet to the other girl, who calmly reached out an took it.

Examining the information and committing it to memory, Emma had to admit to herself that she was impressed. While all it contained was basic information - height, weight, hair colour, date of birth, and the like - it was incredibly well organized. There was even a photograph of the boy attached to the sheet, giving Emma her first look at him. And she also had to admit, that the description Melinda had given her did not do the boy justice. Her control slipped for a moment, but fortunately she was able to lift a hand to her chin in a pseudo-considering manner, thereby hiding the thin trail of drool before anyone saw it. She momentarily considered taking him for herself, but turned the idea down shortly after the thought occurred; Melinda was her cousin, and the only member of her family she actually liked - aside from her brother Christian - and thus she could not do such a thing to her.

On the other hand, perhaps she could take him out for a test drive, to determine if he was actually good enough for her beloved cousin. And, if not, they were incredibly close, and tended to share things quite often...

Looking up, Emma gave Nabiki a short nod. "This information is sufficiently adequate," She said in a cool tone, belaying her current thoughts involving Ranma, a pair of white leather cuffs and a white leather bustier, "I believe that we can do business, Ms. Tendo."

"Excellent, Ms Frost," Nabiki replied in the same tone. She smiled and shot Melinda a wink, "And I'll even throw in an extra set of pictures - even better than the first set - free of charge."

Several minutes later, after items had discretely changed hands, Melinda and her cousin had finally retrieved their luggage and were making their way to a private car awaiting them outside the airport.

"I don't like her," Emma said simply, "But she may prove useful; her type is used to manipulating, and thus never suspect themselves of being susceptible to manipulation."

Melinda nodded, having made that assessment herself. "The best pawns, Momma always says," She answered, "Are those who don't even realize they are on the board."

Emma's full lips pulled back into a smirk as they got into the back seat of the white Rolls-Royce, letting the chauffeur take care of the baggage. "Exactly." She leaned back, giving her neck a - somehow - dignified crack. "I have a feeling this coming year will be more fun that even I had anticipated." And to think, she had decided to do this just to piss off her parents.

* * *

Back in the airport, Nabiki frowned as she returned to her friends, all the while going over the entire conversation in her mind. Something about Emma bothered her, but she could not put her finger on what it was. 

She was rich, but that was obvious; Nabiki had heard of the Frost's, one of the wealthiest and most powerful of the old-money American families, making the Kuno's seem like gutter trash by comparison. Despite her wealthy upbringing, however, Emma did not give of the impression of the 'spoiled rich girl' Nabiki had expected. Both she and Melinda carried an air about that stated they expected things to go their way; not because they were wealthier than most small countries, but because they were determined to make certain things would go their way, and they didn't care what anyone else tried to do about it.

Then there was the matter of not being able to scan her surface thoughts; that fact had actually set Nabiki on edge. From what she could tell, the girl wasn't a telepath, otherwise she would have reacted to the telepathic scan. But then again, she did have a surprising degree of control over her emotions, and, loathe as she was to admit it, Nabiki could be wrong. There were some humans who were naturally immune to telepathic intrusion - her Chemistry teacher had been one such individual, and Mystique had confirmed that he was a baseline human.

Sighing as she sat down next to Pietro, Nabiki couldn't shake the feeling that things were going to become a lot more complicated when she returned at the end of the summer. She would have to prepare.

* * *

When Ranma returned to the back yard, he forced the strange phone call out of his mind in favour of focusing on his students. Watching Kitty and Jean spar, he had to admit he was rather impressed with how quickly they were all learning. Of course, the Saotome style was designed that way, using various methods to make the students want to learn - usually by making them want to get good enough to beat the one teaching them into a fine paste. Insane training methods, belittling, outright insults, and regularly kicking their asses worked wonders for developing a desire to learn. 

Beginning his own free-form kata, while still keeping an eye on his friends, Ranma put up the show of not paying attention, and was pleased to see none of them were slacking off in what he'd instructed them to do.

Kurt was improving rapidly, almost as fast as Ranma himself did; Ranma was actually beginning to wonder if their mother's genes had something to do with it, after seeing the security camera footage of Mystique's battle with Storm. His mother was insanely good, almost up to his level; in fact, he wasn't sure if he could beat her in an outright fight, but he had the feeling it would be fun. He chuckled lightly, wondering if it was healthy to think fighting with his mom might be enjoyable.

In the time since they had begun training, Kurt's already impressive speed an agility had grown by leaps and bounds, as was evidence by how he danced around Rogue's attempts to touch him, despite having no use of his arms or eyes. Ranma noticed a subtle twitch in the boy's pointed ears every now and then, a sure sign his little brother was developing better sensory awareness as well. He hadn't gained much muscle mass, but what he did have was becoming more toned. It was almost a shame his image inducer didn't carry that over; he could have the girls all over him.

Looking over at where Scott was still sparring with Evan, Ranma stopped for a moment. "Scott!" He bellowed, "Blindfold, now!"

Scott was taking very well to the blind-fighting Ranma had been instructing him, which came as little surprise to his pigtailed instructor. Scott, unless he felt like blasting a hole in something, was effectively blind without his shades or visor, and had been that way since he was thirteen; it made sense that his other senses had begun to develop to help compensate for that. Teaching him this method of combat, along with the regular combat instruction, had helped to heighten his senses further. He wasn't taking as well to the Saotome-Ryu as well as some of the others, like Kurt and Rogue, but he was nothing if not determined. Scott was usually the first person out in the morning, and the last one to go inside.

Switching his gaze to Evan, Ranma winced as Scott managed to strike the other boy in the back of the leg with a particularly hard swing of his staff. His defenses needed work, most certainly, but then again, Evan was used to growing bone armour during combat, giving him built-in defenses. That was no excuse, though, as Ranma's job was to teach them to fight without relying on their powers. The boy did have a natural aptitude for weapons, however, and could conceal them better than Mousse on his best day - granted, it was because he grew them inside himself, but it was still an impressive advantage.

Looking over at Kitty and Jean, Ranma made a mental not to increase Jean's meditation exercises. Her powers seemed to be getting out of control more and more often, based on the number of times over the past few weeks she'd asked him to give her a null touch. While Ranma was willing to help her out, he wished she'd consent to asking the professor for help. After another minute of observation, he made another mental note to find some way to stop her from staying in the forms too much.

Kitty was taking to Saotome-Ryu incredibly well, despite not having the real instincts of a fighter; not that she didn't give it her all, it just wasn't in her personality. And Ranma had no plans to integrate such a facet into her.

His initial assessment of her had included far more than he'd told Logan; with her powers, she had the potential to be the most dangerous of all of them, with the possible exception of Kurt. Give her advanced ninjitsu training, she could sneak up on an enemy, phase a small object into their body, and they'd be dead without even knowing how it happened. Hell, Kitty could simply phase into someone's chest and bring their internal organs out with her if she wanted. The fact of the matter was, however, the girl would never even consider such a thing, and he was quite certain she would become physically ill at the mere thought. She preferred the stealth and support roles her powers offered her, and Ranma wasn't going to change that.

Making his way full-circle, his eyes focused on Rogue and he couldn't prevent a small smile from coming over his features as he saw her sitting triumphantly on a half-unconscious Kurt, telling him to say 'Uncle'. He'd been focusing on her training a lot lately, and not just because she wore very tight pants with her gi. He knew she didn't like using her powers unless she had to, so he'd made it a point to make her even more combat capable than the others, even going to the length of giving her private lessons in the Danger Room. In the time since they had started training, her speed, strength, endurance, reflexes - hell, everything - had increased drastically, and he couldn't see her reaching her limit or plateauing any time soon. She had taken easily to Saotome-Ryu. Her pain tolerance still needed a lot of work, though, but aside from that he really couldn't find any fault in her abilities.

Ending his kata, he prepared to end the session when he felt something furry brush against his leg and he froze solid. He shut his eyes tightly and prayed to any god that might be listening that it was just a squirrel, puppy, an abnormally-hairy baby, anything but what he knew it was.

'If I don't see it, it don't exist,' He began chanting mentally, 'If I don't see it, it don't exist, if I don't see it, it don't exist, if I don't see it, it don-'

"Mrrrowl?"

"GAH!" Ranma screamed out in terror, dropping the internal mantra and fleeing in a random direction, his arms flailing in the air.

The other students stopped what they were doing and immediately looking for the source of the attack; anything that could make Ranma scream in terror like that had to be a major threat.

The small orange-and-white tabby tilted its head cutely and watched the strange human as it ran through a tree without slowing down.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!! CATCATCATCATCATCATCAT!!!! HORRIBLESHARPTEETHRIPPINGCLAWSEYESINTHEDARKWAITINGTODEVOURTERRIBLEEVILSOULESSCAT!!!!!! GETTITWAYGETTITAWAYGETTITAWAYGETTITAWAYGETTITAWAY!!!!" Ranma cried out in terror, circling around and running through the wall next to the back door of the mansion.

Kitty looked forth and back between the Ranma-shaped hole in the wall and the small kitten that had now begun to clean its paws out of boredom. Approaching cautiously, she reached out a three-fingered hand towards the cat. "It, like, doesn't seem that ferocious," She commented as the feline started rubbing it's head against her hand, purring happily at the attention

* * *

Ranma sighed, looking at the assembled residents of the mansion. "I guess ya want an explanation, huh?" 

"That would be helpful," Jean said, stifling the urge to say something more sarcastic.

After the kitten had been let out outside the mansion, the students had searched the mansion in an effort to find their friend and hopefully get an explanation out of him. It took them almost half-an-hour, but they finally found Ranma cowering under the kitchen table in a fetal position, his eyes wild and his pigtail standing on end.

After coaxing Ranma out from under the table, and assuring him the frightening monster was gone - during which time everyone else had arrived, wondering what all the commotion had been about - Ranma had finally managed to calm down.

"Well," He said hesitantly, not wanting to have to tell them about his greatest fear, "Simply put, I lied 'bout bein' allergic to c-c-cats." He sighed, sliding down in the chair he was sharing with Rogue, who was holding him comfortingly. "Truth is, I'm damn terrified of 'em. Can't look at one without goin' nuts."

"Why?" Scott asked, "I mean, it's kinda weird. I mean, how could you be so terrified of such a small and harmless creature?"

Ranma shot him a glare. "Gophers."

Scott flinched and shuddered violently. "N-nevermind."

"Suffice ta say, it was a trainin' method that went horribly wrong," Ranma said, smirking at Scott's discomfort; Saotome method of getting rid of distress number thirty-four: give it to someone else. "I can't tell ya how it happened, 'cause I can't talk 'bout it without goin' inta hysterics, but I can tell ya if I can't get away from one, I snap."

"Snap?" Kitty asked worriedly, "Snap how?"

"I start actin' like a cat," Ranma answered, looking down at the ground. "And in a way, tha trainin' worked; apparently I'm damn-near unbeatable when I'm like that, although I don't remember what happens." He looked back up at them, "If that ever happens, tha only way ta get me outta it is ta trigger my curse or..." he trailed off.

"Or?" Rogue prompted after a minute of silence.

"If I can manage ta sleep it off in someone's lap," Ranma mumbled, "Can't be just anyone's lap, though, but I dunno anythin' more 'bout it. I'm as likely ta attack ya as anythin' else when it happens, though, so yer best bet it ta splash me with water."

"Woah," Evan said, breaking the silence that had descended on the room. "That's some pretty weird stuff, man."

"Yeah," Kitty agreed, "Is that like, why you don't call me by my full codename?"

Ranma chuckled and nodded. "Yeah," He confirmed, "Can barely even say tha word."

"Ranma," Xavier said, finally speaking up after he had considered what the boy had told them, "Is this what Magneto was referring to when he mentioned the 'Neko-ken'?"

Ranma flinched, "Yeah," He nodded, "That's the name of tha technique."

"Why didn't yah tell us about it sooner?" Rogue asked gently. "There might be some way we can help yah." She looked up at the professor.

"I'm afraid any help I can offer would be limited," Xavier said, shaking his head, "While in normal cases, I would be able to enter his mind and possibly remove the fear, Ranma's immunity to telepathy prevents such an option. The only thing I can suggest is regular psychiatric therapy. That is," He added, looking at Ranma, "If Ranma is willing."

Ranma blinked. "A psychiatrist?" He asked, "Huh. Why didn't I ever think of that?"

"I don't know how much it might be able to help," Xavier admitted, "As the fear seems to be deeply ingrained, and you said yourself you are unable to tell us the cause of it, but it might help to make you more comfortable about felines."

"I'll havta think about it," Ranma said, standing up, "But I think I might take ya up on that offer, Prof."

Xavier smiled as he turned his chair towards the door. "We can work out the details later, if you wish, after you have had some time to think it over." He said, heading out of the room. "But if you will excuse me, I have to return to Cerebro."

The other residents picked up on the hidden request in Xavier's words and silently filtered out of the room, a few offering sympathetic looks towards Ranma as they left. Eventually, Ranma and Rogue were the only ones left in the room.

"Huh," Ranma said as he watched Kurt teleport away. "Wonder why they suddenly up an' left."

Rogue smiled. "Ah think they thought yah needed ta be alone."

"Oh?," Ranma questioned, his voice wavering slightly, "Then why didn't ya go with 'em?"

She pulled him in closer to her and placed his head against her shoulder. "'cause Ah think yah don't." She whispered softly.

Ranma smiled softly against Rogue's shoulder, pressing his face against it. "Thank you," he said softly after several minutes, his voice muffled against her shirt.

They sat there in silence for several moments, Rogue providing silent comfort for the pigtailed boy, while wondering what could have possibly happened to him to make him so deathly afraid of cats. Ranma, on the other hand was simply enjoying the first amount of comfort that had ever been offered him in regards to his phobia; everyone else who had ever found out about it had tried to use it against him. The Tendo's had even teased him, covering him with dozens of cats while he stood in fear, frozen and unable to move. Despite the man's gruff exterior, Ranma had been able to tell the man held a great amount of regret for putting him through the training, but even after all these years Ranma hadn't been able to forgive the man, especially for not reading the whole manual. The whole thing could have been avoided if the man had just turned the damned page.

For now though, he forced such thoughts out of his mind and simply enjoyed the comfort and companionship this wonderful girl was providing him.

"Y'know," Rogue said, finally breaking the silence, "Ya just completely ruined tha moment by undoin' mah bra."

* * *

Ryouga slumped down against the ground, too exhausted to move. 

He'd been traveling for three straight weeks now, after getting up to use the bathroom and somehow ending up in England. He had missed his challenge match with Ranma due to the interference of his enemy's mother, and now he had missed the rescheduled match due to his directional curse.

He barked out a bitter laugh. Not that it really mattered; he could barely move as it was. Ranma's mother had lied when she said the effects of the ki dispersement would last only a few hours. It had taken three weeks for the effects to completely wear off, and his ki pathways to completely recover from the sudden and forceful expulsion of all but a fraction of his energy.

And now, it turned out, his ki was returning at the speed of a glacier. By his estimates, it would take almost a month for his reserves to completely refill. And in the meantime, he barely had the energy to move more than a few miles a day without collapsing. He attempted to train, but he didn't have the energy for that either. Which meant his skills would likely degrade, all the while Ranma would be training and getting better.

All of this meant that Ryouga had a long way to go before he would be ready to challenge Ranma again. Which wasn't fair in the least; why did so many things happen to him to delay his vengeance?

Ryouga felt his depression building, and forced himself to push it aside. This was just another obstacle to overcome, one of many that had been placed in his path during this seemingly never-ending quest to get even with the pigtailed bane of his existence. He would heal, and he would train, and he would gain complete control over his powers. And then... then, Ranma would be at his mercy. And his mother wouldn't be there to bail him out this time.

"RANMA SAOTOME'S MOM," He cried out angrily, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

* * *

Soun Tendo sighed and picked up the paper again. He had already read it three times now, but there just wasn't anything else to do. He didn't have another class to teach for another three hours, Akane was busy practicing in the dojo, Nabiki was still in America at the private school she had won a scholarship to, and Kasumi was out at the market. 

He would have enjoyed a shogi match against Genma, or a sparring session, but his old friend had vanished in the night, leaving behind a note that he was going on an extended training trip for the next few months. Why he had decided to go now - and leave Soun to handle all the classes himself - Soun had no idea. Then again, Genma had always been like that, disappearing on a whim with barely a note to let anyone know what had happened. It had occurred all the time during their time under the dreaded master, and He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named would always punish Genma severely for doing such a thing.

"Guess who's come home for a visit!" a familiar voice exclaimed from the doorway.

Soun looked up from his paper and his face broke out in a wide grin. Dropping the paper, he leapt to his feet and grabbed his middle daughter in a tight embrace. "Nabiki!" He exclaimed, fighting the urge to cry. "How have you been? How is America? Who are you friends?" The last question was directed towards the four boys standing outside the door watching with smirks and barely restrained laughter as the older man practically smothered his daughter.

"Daddy," Nabiki said, pulling herself out of the embrace. "What have I told you about that?"

Soun chuckled. "I'm sorry," he apologized, his smile never leaving his face. "I'm just so happy to have you home, daughter. I know it's only been a few weeks, but it feels like you've been away for so long, and-"

"Daddy," Nabiki said, stepping to the side and cutting off the rambling monologue that threated to turn into tears. "These are my friends. They wanted to learn martial arts, so I invited them to stay with us over the summer. Don't worry," She added, hearing Soun mentally begin to go over the finances, "They can pay for their stay."

Smiling, Soun offered the four boys a bow in greeting, speaking in heavily-accented and barely-passable English. "I Tendo Soun. Welcome to home mine."

Lance stepped forward, offering a bow of his own. Nabiki had practically beaten the fact that they needed to be polite into the them entire flight over. "My name is Lance Alvers. Thank you, Tendo-san," He said in perfect Japanese. "For allowing us to stay with you and your family over the summer."

Nabiki had been surprised to learn Lance was fluent in her native language shortly after their arrival in Japan. When she had asked him about it, he had mumbled something about 'un-dubbed tapes of Neon Genesis Evangelion' and then refused to say any more on the matter. Nabiki had managed to get the full story from his mind, and found it thoroughly amusing that the boy had learned Japanese via un-dubbed and un-subtitled anime he'd watched with a Japanese-American boy in the orphanage he'd grown up in.

"A pleasure to meet you, Alvers-san," Sound said, blinking in surprise at the boy's fluency. "I hope you will enjoy your stay here, and the training I can provide for you and your friends. Nabiki has told me much about you all in her emails."

More introductions were made when the rest of the Tendo's came home. Kasumi was delighted at the prospect of guests, and quickly showed them to the guest rooms and the dojo where they would be staying befure running out to the market to purchase more food; Freddy-san looked like he could eat even more than Uncle Genma, and it made her so happy to cook for those who appreciated good food.

Akane greeted the boys with a small amount of apprehension, but forced it aside; not all boys were perverts, she continually repeated in her head like the school counselor had suggested. And even those that are, it's a natural thing for boys to be attracted to pretty girls, and just because they may be thinking perverted things, it wasn't right to hit them.

She really didn't like the look the short ugly one was giving her, though. Maybe her therapist would understand if she just hit one of them? They say going cold turkey is the worst method, after all...

* * *

"Hey, Ranma?" 

Ranma looked up from the sandwich he'd been about to take a bite of to see Jean at the door. A week had passed since his phobia had been revealed, and fortunately, no cats had made their way onto the mansion grounds. Xavier had even adjusted the sensors to detect the furry little demons. "Yeah?"

The redheaded girl stepped in, taking a quick look around to make sure no one else was there. Seeing that they were alone, she approached Ranma and took a seat next to him at the kitchen table. "I'm - um - sorry to bother you," She said apologetically, and Ranma noticed a near-imperceptible twitch in her eye. "But I - uh - need another one." Her eyes darted around to again make sure no one was nearby.

Ranma blinked, setting his sandwich down. "You sure?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Jean said, nodding with such a force that Ranma thought her head was going to fly off. She twitched again, and the salt shaker slowly rose into the air. Frowning, she clenched her teeth and it returned to the table. "I do. Really badly."

Ranma sighed. "Don't ya think ya should talk ta tha professor about this?" He asked, although he already knew the answer she would give him.

"No, I can't," Jean answered, shaking her head, "I-I swear, I just need time to get it under c-control again." She winced, and the salt shaker shot up and embedded itself in the ceiling, "But it's too - too painful right now! Do it, please!" The pepper shaker began to shake violently.

"Alright," Ranma said, lifting his hand. Several seconds later, it began to glow a soft blue, and he placed it against her forehead.

As soon as his hand touched her, Jean's eyes closed and her expression relaxed, a small pleasurable sigh escaping from her lips. Leaning back against in her chair, she gave him a smile of pure gratitude. "Thank you," She whispered, her voice full of relief.

"This is the third time this week, Red," Ranma told her, removing his hand. "While I'm happy at tha chance ta practice tha technique, I really think ya should see the prof about it."

"I know," Jean sighed, crossing her arms against the table and leaning down, resting her chin against them. "But I -"

Scott suddenly popped his head into the room, startling Jean and cutting her off mid-sentence. "Hey, yo, there you guys are," He stepped in, "C'mon, Professor Xavier wants to see us at Cerebro."

Ranma and Jean shared a glance. "What for?" The pigtailed boy asked.

"Somethin' about new students," Scott answered.

* * *

Xavier smiled and turned around as Scott, Jean, and Ranma entered the room, joining Tofu, Ororo, and Logan, the latter of whom had begun to grow impatient. "Ah, thank you for coming so promptly," He said. 

"Okay, Chuck," Logan said gruffly, a toothpick clenched in his teeth, "They're here, now would ya mind tellin' us what ya meant by 'new students'?"

"I mean exactly that, Logan" Xavier replied after a brief chuckle. "In three weeks, we will be taking in several new students; nine to be exact."

Logan's jaw dropped open, and his toothpick fell to the floor. "Nine?!" He repeated, unsure if he'd heard the man correctly.

"Okay," Scott said, easily accepting that there would be a lot more people in the mansion soon, "I understand why you asked Logan, Tofu, and Ororo to be here, but why did you ask for us to?"

"Yes Logan, nine," Xavier replied, hiding a look of amusement at the man's reaction. "And Scott, I asked you three to join us because I would like to request your aid in training these new students."

"Of course," Jean said, nodding, "But why didn't you ask for the others as well? They could help teach them too."

"Yes, I do hope to have them involved as well," Xavier agreed, "But the three of you are the oldest, as well as the furthest along in your training. While the others will aid you, I would ask that the three of you take charge, as their instructors."

"Nine?" Logan repeated again.

"Logan does have a point, Charles," Ororo said, giving a weak smile, "Nine is a bit much to take in all at once. We have enough trouble looking after the seven we already have."

Xavier chuckled again. "Which is another reason I have asked Ranma, Scott, and Jean to aid in their teaching."

"Cool," Ranma said, "Ain't gonna be too hard, although it might get a little crowded 'round here."

"Nine?" Everyone ignored Logan, who appeared to be caught in a loop now.

"Who are the students, Charles?" Tofu asked, adjusting his glasses.

"I'm glad you asked," Xavier replied, turning to the console and pressing a few buttons. A large holographic display appeared in the space between the console and the curved outer wall across from it. A series of nine pictures appeared on it, showing a variety of young faces.

"Rahne Sinclair," Xavier began, highlighting the first image with another push of a button. She was a cute brown-eyed girl, with reddish-brown hair done up in a pair of short ponytails. "Fourteen years old, from Scotland. She possesses the power of lycanthropy, allowing her to transform into a red wolf. She can also take on a wolf-human hybrid form with enhanced senses, strength, speed, durability, as well as razor-sharp claws and teeth."

He glanced over at Ranma, adding. "She already has some training in the martial arts."

Ranma nodded in response, saying nothing as he continued to observe.

The second picture highlighted, showing a smirking boy with very short blond hair with short orange-dyed bangs that flared upwards. "Raymond Crisp, fifteen years old, is capable of generating powerful bolts of electricity."

"Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla," Xavier continued, highlighting a picture of a pretty young Hispanic woman with long brown hair. "Fifteen years old, from the city-state of Nova Roma in Brazil. She has the power to project and manipulate molten magma, as well as some limited geological manipulation abilities."

The next picture, a young man with short light-brown hair and a cocky grin highlighted. "Robert Drake, fifteen years old, has powers nearly the opposite of Amara's. Bobby is capable of projecting intense cold, as well as freezing and manipulating the moisture in the air around him."

Ranma frowned slightly; ice meant cold, frozen water, which he still had a bit of an aversion to, despite the control over his curse he had gained.

Scott grinned, thinking of a way to use this Drake kid to help him get back at Ranma for the gophers.

Not noticing any of this, Xavier continued. "Jamie Madrox," A picture of a very young boy with short brown hair. "The youngest at twelve years old. Upon physical impact, Jamie can create perfect living copies of himself, which he can later re-absorb. His powers may need quite a bit of work to control," He added, "To prevent any accidents while outside of the mansion."

"Next, we have Jubilation Lee," The third -to-last picture highlighted, a pretty Chinese-American girl with long black hair. "Or 'Jubilee' as she likes to be called. Fourteen years old, with the power to generate explosive bursts of light and energy, similar in appearance to fireworks."

"Tabitha Smith," A pretty young woman with short blond hair that flared out along the sides and a smirk that carried an air of pure mischief. "Fifteen years old, and capable of creating balls of energy that explode when she wants them to; essentially, she can create energy time bombs."

"Lovely," Ororo muttered, imagining the new craters they would soon have in the yard.

"Nine?" Logan repeated yet again, giving everyone the urge to slap him.

"Samuel Guthrie, fifteen, can expel thermo-chemical energy form his skin, using it to propel himself forward at great speeds. While in flight, the energy he emits also grants him increased durability and a nigh-impenetrable force-field." Samuel Guthrie's picture was highlighted, showing a boy with blond hair that hung to the bottom of his neck and a very kind smile.

Ranma quickly translated what the professor said into words he could more easily understand. "So... he can fly into stuff really hard?" Great, someone else - who wasn't him - that could fly. Stupid x-gene not giving him the power of unaided levitation...

"Precisely," Xavier replied with a smile, then highlighted the last picture. "Finally, we have Roberto da Costa, sixteen years old and from Brazil. Roberto can absorb solar energy and channel it into physical strength, flight, and blasts of concussive force." Roberto was a dark-skinned boy with shaggy dark-brown hair and an arrogant smirk.

Xavier turned and smiled at the assembled students and faculty. "Well, any questions?"

"Nine?" Logan repeated. Ranma rolled his eyes and smacked the older mutant in the back of the head. Logan's wits returned to him, and he directed a scowl towards the pigtailed boy. Shaking his head and grumbling about how the place was going to be getting a lot more crowded, he turned away and walked out the door.

Seeing that no one else seemed to have any questions - although Ororo and Tofu appeared to be trying to come to grips with the fact that they would have nine more charges to look after - Xavier deactivated the holo-screen and turned to Ranma. "Now," He said, "Since there are no more questions, Ranma, I will meet you and Tofu in the lab shortly.

Ranma nodded and suppressed a groan. Nearly every day since Asteroid M, he'd been spending several hours in the lab being bombarded with test after test from Xavier and Tofu in an effort to learn exactly what his x-gene made him capable of. Tests that usually involved lots of needles and cold exam tables. Sighing, he turned and followed the Professor out, hoping at least today they'd let him remain male.

* * *

"Hmm..." Emma said, pursing her lips as she re-read the contents of Ranma Saotome's file. "Engaged to three women, chased after by a fourth, all without his consent... I think I am beginning to see what Tendo meant." She was currently lying upside-down on a large white couch, her head hanging off the edge while he long legs were stretched into the air. 

"Yes," Melinda agreed with a frown, from her position lying on the floor. She was looking over the brief profile of one of Ranma's former fiancées; what kind of name was 'Shampoo'? "I can see why my normal approach isn't working."

"Exactly," Emma said with a grin, "That 'Shampoo' girl attempted the same methods, hanging all over him, being forceful, all that jazz. And what happened with that? He rejected every advance."

Melinda nodded. "I can see that. This information would have helped my pursuit had I had it from the beginning." She smirked, adding "At least now I have a slight advantage over skunk-hair in what I know."

"If I may ask," Emma started, looking away from the personality profile and over at her cousin, "Is this boy truly worth all of this effort? I grant you, he is a stud, but I know for a fact that you have turned down much better-looking men in the past. And according to what I've read, the boy - while nice - is brash, arrogant, and far from the sharpest tool in the shed."

Propping herself up on one elbow, Melinda sighed and set the sheet down along with the others in the small pile between them. "I know," She admitted, "And yes, I'm certain. There's just something about Ranma that other men simply don't have, a - presence. It could be his confidence, I don't know, but I sensed it from the very moment I met him."

She looked over at Emma, and continued. "And I know he has his faults, but somehow they just make him all the more charming. She paused, tapping a finger against her chin. "Also, other men, while they may look better, are boring as all hell; when I'm with Ranma, it feels like - I don't know - like anything can happen, y'know? And I like that feeling." She smiled, leaning back against the floor and resting one arm on her forehead and the other against the floor, her hand on her exposed stomach. "There's just something about him, y'know?"

"No I don't," Emma replied bluntly, looking over one of the 'special' pictures Nabiki had thrown in, "But I will take your word for it, and when I meet the boy I shall have to see and feel this 'manly presence' for myself." She discretely slipped the picture into her top; Melinda wouldn't miss one...

"Pictures can't capture him properly," Melinda said wistfully, her eyes glazing over slightly. The hand at her midriff began slowly moving lower.

Emma smirked as she saw her cousin going off into a private fantasy; that girl had it so bad for this boy. "Now," She said, snapping Melinda back to reality, "We have all of this information; the question is, what are we going to do with it?"

Melinda filed the fantasy away for later. "I'm going to change my approach, that's for certain; he's not the average guy, easily plied with the suggestion of sex." Which was frustrating, Melinda had to admit, but also made him even more desirable. "But then on the other hand, I don't think playing hard to get will do much good either. So logically..." She trailed off tapping a finger against her chin and her eyes widened in realization. "So logically, the best thing to do would be what he suggested in the first place; just act like his friend."

"And thus," Emma said, a smile crossing over her pretty face, "You can win him over from the inside, and, if you go about it the right way, he'll be yours before he even realizes it."

"Exactly," Melinda grin slowly twisted into a frown, "But the question is, what is the right way to go about it?" She nearly jumped when a white cell phone landed on her stomach. Blinking, she took it and looked over to her cousin.

"First," the other Frost said, "You're going to give him a call letting him know you are back in town. Just one friend calling another, nothing else. Then," Emma grinned mischievously, "Then, you are going to tell me everything you know about the competition."

* * *

"Sorry I'm late, Doc," Ranma said as he rushed into the lab, "I got a call from Melinda I had ta take." 

"Quite alright, Ranma," Xavier said while Tofu just waved it off, "We were just going over the results of the previous tests. How is the young lady?"

"She's good," Ranma replied absently, sitting down on the examination table, "Came back earlier than planned, brought a cousin with her, jus' called ta say 'hi', some other stuff I can't remember. So," He looked at the two hopefully. "have ya found anythin' out yet?"

"I am afraid not," Xavier said, glancing over to Tofu, who responded in the negative as well. "So far what little results we have been able to obtain have provided us with no information we did not already know."

"And what information is that?"

"That Magneto was right," The professor replied, "The nullification is a by-product of your mutation, and not the basis of it as we have long suspected. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anything more definite than that."

"However," Tofu said, pulling out a needle and walking to Ranma's side, "We will find out what it is; it cannot hide from us forever." He chuckled and paused in rubbing Ranma's arm with alcohol in preparation for the injection. "You know, it's funny how fate seems to be attempting to hinder us at every attempt to solve this mystery."

"How do ya figure?" Ranma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," Tofu explained, still chuckling, "Cerebro cannot determine your powers. None of the tests we've been doing have provided much information. Magneto himself tried to evolve you and force your powers to their full potential in order to figure it out, yet he failed as well when it didn't take effect." He tapped a finger to his chin, then added, "In fact, if it weren't for your nullification, I MIGHT be able figure it out with a single touch; my mutation gives me a complete diagnosis on anyone I am in physical contact with, down to a genetic level. But," He finished, taking the needle in his hand, "as we know, it won't work on you."

"Anyway," Tofu said, quickly adjusting his glasses and placing the needle against Ranma's skin, "I suppose we should get this out of the way..."

Ranma sighed and nodded. He hated these damn needles...

* * *

A bulky man dressed in a white gi sat on the edge of the rooftop of a non-descript apartment building and stared out across the cityscape. The sun beginning to set on the horizon, bathing the sky above Manchester, England in a wash of purples and reds. 

"You do realize you will be hunted because of this," Genma said softly, not looking over at his companion, his face a mask of stoicism as he stared forward.

Next to him was a teenage girl with dark purple hair, the majority of which was combed over and to the right, hanging just even with her jaw line. Her lips were a dark red, and she wore a hint of purple eyeshadow. Her upper body was adorned with a tight, sleeveless greenish-brown shirt over a loose long-sleeved mesh top over her rather impressive figure. Her lower body was covered by a pair of baggy dark brown pants and a pair of black leather boots. She was sitting horizontally on the ledge, her back and head resting against her companion, and her legs pulled up against her chest, her black-gloved hands resting casually on her knees.

"I am well aware of that," his companion said, her voice containing a light British accent that hit the ear in a very pleasant manner, "And frankly, I don't care in the slightest."

"It's the reason I'm here, actually," Genma continued, "I'm supposed to find you and bring you in."

"Well, it is incredibly fortunate for myself that you didn't manage to find me." The girl said with a grin. "Since _I_ was the one to find _you_."

Genma shook his head. "You take this matter far too lightly-"

"And you take it far too seriously." The girl interjected

"- especially considering the circumstances behind everything," Genma continued. "You have humiliated and betrayed him, and you know how he reacts to such things. He will not stop until he finds you."

"Too bad for him," The girl said, her eyes narrowing to thin slits, "that I am now beyond any possible methods of detection he has avaliable to him."

"I found you."

"I let you find me," The girl countered, "So you could give him the message I told you to give him."

"And you're certain about this?" Genma asked, ignoring the girl as she rolled her eyes. So maybe he'd asked the question a few too many times already. "Absolutely certain, knowing that if anyone discovers you, they will bring you in using any means necessary?"

"Which brings me to another reason I let you find me," The girl said, looking over her shoulder, "I need the other scroll."

"No," Genma replied immediately, "I sealed those techniques for a reason."

"You sealed them under the oath of only bringing them back into the light of day in order to protect your family," the girl said softly. "We may not be related by marriage or by blood, Genma, but you are among the only family I still have, and I know you feel the same about me. I may be able to take some of them down, but what if he sends someone like Sage?" She shook her head. "You trained me well, very well, but I unless I have an advantage she has not yet seen, she will take me down. Hard. I need the scroll."

Genma sighed. "I don't think this is a good idea..." he muttered, reaching into his gi and pulling out plain, worn scrollcase. "It has a ki-lock, which is attuned to only two people in existance: Myself and Ranma. If anyone but myself or him were to open it, the scroll inside would be incinerated." He handed it to the girl. "I will give this to you, but I will not remove the lock."

"Why not?" The girl said, frowning as she slipped the case into a pocket along the leg of her pants.

"Because I still believe in the reason I sealed the techniques in the first place." Genma replied, "They are too dangerous, and should never have been created. And I cannot, even with my rather flexible moral structure, in any good conscience unseal them myself."

"Which means I will have to get Ranma to do it for me..." The girl said softly. "Which means returning to Bayville, which means using this identity as a cover once again. But how will I get Ranma to open it while maintaining my cover?"

"No clue." Genma answered bluntly. "Consider it a test; trickery, cunning, and misdirection are all essential parts of the Saotome-Ryu. Use them and find a way."

"Right." The girl said with a short nod. "Well, I've stayed too long, and I must prepare." She hopped to her feet, leaned down at the waist and gave the stocky man a hug and a quick peck on the cheek. "No worries, Genma, if all goes accordin' to plan, you'll be free of his hold soon enough."

"Ra-"

"Ah-ah-ah," The girl interrupted, shaking her index finger slowly, "Remember, it's Risty. Risty Wilde."

Genma rolled his eyes. "Alright, _Risty_, you know Erik's hold over me is not as easily broken as you might think. And besides," His eyes darkened, "It's something I have to take care of on my own, as a matter of honour."

"You've been saying that for over twenty years, Genma," Risty said, walking along the ledge with her arms held out straight to both sides. "And have yet to make any progress. If I can find a way to help, I will take it. But now is not the time for this old argument. I must be off, and so must you." She returned to his side and gave him another hug. "Take care of yourself, my friend."

Without another word, she leapt off the side of the building. Genma didn't even watch her land, his mind having drifted to the past. His head was filled with images of a field of bodies, and the sounds of screaming terror echoed through his thoughts.

* * *

Kasumi hummed happily to herself as she walked home from the Nerima Community College; she had registered too late for classes during the past year, but she had been able to get into several courses during the summer semester. She still had not decided what she wanted to study, so her class schedule was a hodge podge of various interests ranging from cooking to fasion design. It didn't matter too much to Kasumi what she studied at the moment, although she supposed she'd have to pick something eventually. 

Pausing in mid-stride to look at a special on live eels for half-off, Kasumi's mind wandered to thought of a certain doctor. Years ago, she had considered studying medicine to become a nurse, or even a doctor herself out of her admiration and affection for the man. But now, without him here, she found her interest in the subject of medicine dwindling, even though her interest in the subject of the man himself remained rather strong. He was off somewhere in America, that much she knew, but where he had gone and for what reasons she had no idea.

A sparkle caught her eye when she started walking again, and her head turned to look at the source. It was a jewelry stand, new by the looks of it, in the Dead Spot of the marketplace. The Dead Spot was a place where for some reason, no stand ever managed to survive long than a month. Something would happen, and the stand would end up destroyed in someway, or the stand wouldn't get enough customers to make a profit and would be forced to close down.

Kasumi was about to pass it by when something caught her eye. Walking closer, she greeted the stand operator with a cheerful 'good afternoon' and looked over the merchandise. It was all very nice, a few incredibly gaudy pieces here and there, but very nice overall. Rings and bracelets, gold and silver, fake gems and real stones.

The item that caught her eye, however, was a large red gemstone in the far section of the stand, right next to where the operator was sitting and chatting with a potential customer. The gem, from what she could tell, was in the process of being cut for use in a necklace; it seemed as though everything sold at the stand was made on-site as well. That had to be interesting to see, and Kasumi made a mental to note to pass by to see the jeweler at work before the inevitable happened and the little stand was destroyed.

Without realizing it, Kasumi's hand had reached out past the items that were on display and had taken hold of the beautiful red gem. Pulling it towards her, she held it up to her eye and looked through it, amazed by all the facets and how the light was captured and reflected by them. It was a beautiful stone, and she hoped she'd have a chance to see the finished piece before it was sold. The way the light glittered from every single facet was almost breathtaking to behold.

A feeling of light-headeness suddenly came over her, and she pulled the gem away from her face and shut her eyes tightly. Rubbing her temple, she shook her head in an attempt to throw the sensation off; the reflections of the light through the gem must have irritated her eye or something, or maybe-

"What do you think you are doing?!"

Kasumi jumped at the sudden angry voice from behind the stand, and jerked back as the gem was roughly torn from her grip. Rubbing her temple still, she looked up to see the stand operator glaring at her.

"Why were you touching it?" The jeweler demanded. He was a short man with a fringe of black hair, glasses with thin round lenses, and a face that seemed set into a permanent sneer. "Now you've scuffed it up with your dirty fingerprints!"

"I'm-I'm sorry," Kasumi apologized, the feeling of lightheadness still lingering. "I wanted to have a better look, that is all."

"You look with your eyes, foolish woman!" the man snapped. "Go, get out of here! I need to see if this gem is salvageable, and I can't do that with you around to upset me further!"

Kasumi's face almost hurt when she gave one of her rare frowns, using muscles that generally remained unused. Apologizing once more, she turned away, still rubbing her temple as the lightheadedness slowly began to fade.

"What an unpleasant man," She commented to herself, smiling in greeting to Mr. Takiyoshi as she passed by his fruit stand. Putting the matter out of her mind - she simply could not dwell on thoughts of unpleasant people for too long - she continued on her way home, humming softly to herself.

Unnoticed by the beautiful young woman as she made her way, the other shopkeepers who had overheard the rudeness directed towards Kasumi - a favoured customer by all - stepped away from their stands and converged on the spot of Rishoto's Custom Jewelry.

Ten minutes later, they returned to their stands, and the Dead Spot had claimed another victim.

* * *

"Okay," Ranma said, taking a breath and leaning against the wall. "You can do this, they're just a bunch of kids. You've taught kids before." 

Next to him, Rogue was grinning in anticipation of the events to come. "Are ya sure?" she asked, looking out the sliding glass door that led to the backyard, where the new recruits were waiting. "They might be a little to much fer ya ta handle, sugah."

"Just why are you comin' ta watch anyway?" Ranma asked, shooting her a look as he walked outside. "It's just the first trainin' session fer the new kids; hell, it ain't even gonna be an actual session, really."

He stopped when he saw the new recruits, and frowned when he saw none of them were in proper training attire. His face set into a glare as he saw most of them using their powers as they chased each other around, blasts of ice and bursts of multi-coloured light mixing with crackling bolts of electricity. A blur flew through the area, racing against a boy who's body was a solid black and surrounded by flickering flames. The blur suddenly crashed into a tree, cracking the defenseless thing in half and revealing the blur to be a boy with nape-length blond hair. The solid-black form faded from the other boy, revealing a young Hispanic man with shaggy dark brown hair, who was now laughing at the blond.

A young boy with short brown hair walking with a red wolf dodged out of the way of the falling tree, landing on the ground and splitting into five identical copies of himself, all of whom shot a glare at the blond boy. The blond smiled apologetically and stood up, rubbing his head while the five boys merged back into one. Both boys dodged as a white blast shot between them, freezing the remains of the tree solid. The wolf turned in the direction of the blast and growled.

Rogue's grin grew wider. "Because Ah wanna see yer trainin' from the sidelines fer once. And Ah have a feelin' that watchin' it has gotta be more fun than experiencin' it."

Ranma rolled his eyes and shot her a smile. "Well," he said, seeing Kurt and Kitty sitting on the balcony above, and thus missing the small yellow orb than rolled to his feet. "I guess ya ain't tha only one ta think that." He cracked his neck. "Guess I better get it starte-"

**_BOOM!_**

A small explosion at his feet cut him off, and he jumped back just in time to avoid the brunt of the blast. Landing on his feet, he shot a glare at the the cute blond girl a few meters away, who was currently engaged in laughing her head off at the result of her little prank. "Alright," He muttered, "They just lost nice sensei privileges..."

"Line up, now!" He yelled into the group, his face turning to a mask of cold steel. His glare returned when he saw none of them reacting, all too busy fooling around and talking to each other. Weaving a tiny trail of ki into his vocal cords, a trick he had discovered by accident the week before, he repeated himself.

"I SAID FORM A LINE! NOW!" His ki-enhanced voice boomed across the yard, stopping everyone in what they were doing. The new recruits all shot him a look of confusion, which he returned with an all-encompassing glare that promised misfortune would fall on those that did not obey. He ignored the laughter from his friends above and behind him. "YOU DO NOT WANT ME TO REPEAT MYSELF." He stated simply, his glare not lessening.

The younger students all shot each other a look and quickly lined up in a row. He smirked at the speed in which they reacted. "That's better," he said, dropping the ki from his voice.

"I'll get straight ta tha point," Ranma said, walking along the line slowly. "I'm Ranma Saotome, yer combat instructor. You, are a bunch of pathetic losers I've been given the punishment of havin' ta teach. There, introductions have been made, and already each and every one of ya have managed ta piss me off."

"How'd we do that?" A boy wearing a dark blue shirt with bluish-gray sleeves and a pair of white khaki pants asked, his face showing confusion. Bobby Drake, if Ranma remembered correctly.

"However," Ranma continued, not acknowledging the boy beyond shooting him a quick look. "I'm gonna let that slide fer now. But I expect, for every session we have after this, that all of you will be out here and ready fer trainin'. Which means wearin' appropriate clothin'. Which none of ya are."

"Like I said," He turned to face them, "I'm yer combat instructor. And when I say combat, I mean martial arts. There will be NO POWERS WHATSOEVER during yer sessions with me. And if any of ya are thinkin' 'bout testin' that, just ask any of the older students what happens when my rules are disobeyed." He gave them a cruel grin. Damn, he loved playing the hard-ass!

"Why do we havta listen you?" A tall boy with flaring orange bangs asked with a small sneer. "You ain't much older than the rest of us."

"Yeah, but I am much better." Ranma replied, stating it as a simple fact. He'd been wondering which of them would ask this, and it looked as if it was Ray Crisp who decided to volunteer. "What's more, the professor placed me in charge of your combat trainin', which makes me your instructor no matter how old I am. Disobey me, technically yer disobeyin' him."

"Why do we even need physical combat training?" Bobby asked, crossing his arms. "I mean, what good is punching and kicking compared to our powers?"

This was another question Ranma had been expecting. "Yeah, yeah," He said dismissively, putting his hands behind his back and casually swaying back and forth on the balls of his feet, "You have great amazing fantastic powers." He snorted. "Big deal. Yer the kid who freezes stuff, right? Tell ya what, you manage to hit me with one of your little ice cubes, and I'll permanently excuse ya from my sessions."

Bobby grinned arrogantly, shooting a look to the others. "Alright, the rest of you will have to let me know how the training goes," he said, focusing his powers, "This'll be cake." Raising his hand, he shot a white blast at the pigtailed boy.

Ranma simply stepped to the right, the blast passing right by him and freezing a bush several meters away. "Well?" He asked, and leaned to the left to avoid another blast. "Are you even trying, Drake?"

Bobby frowned, wondering why he wasn't hitting the pigtailed boy. Raising both hands, he froze the ground, then fired a dozen short bursts of freezing cold, smirking confidently. No way he could dodge all of that.

Yawning loudly, Ranma casually dodged each blast, easily keeping his footing on the frozen ground as he weaved around and under them as they passed by, freezing more sections of the forest behind him.

"No fair," Bobby whined, "You have to be using _your_ powers to move that fast."

"Guess again, Drake," Ranma said with an arrogant smirk. "What you all saw there was pure skill, the result of nearly a decade an' a half of non-stop martial arts trainin'. My powers have nothin' to do with it."

"That little show right was ta show all of ya two very important things," Ranma said, "One, Drake needs to improve his aim; if ya can't hit someone with yer powers, half of their use is gone. And two," He paused and smirked arrogantly. "I'm better than you."

"However," Ranma continued, once again walking up and down the line of students, "There is one very important reason yer all gonna need combat trainin'. An' its such a damn simple one, I should smack ya all fer not knowin' it already. Can anyone of ya tell me what that is?"

After a moment of silence, a short dark-skinned girl with long black hair raised her hand. "Anonymity?" She asked after he nodded to acknowledge her.

"Gold star for Aquilla," Ranma said with another nod, causing Amara to smile triumphantly. "Anonymity. Yer out on the street, people all around ya, and suddenly someone leaps outta an alley and tries ta mug ya. You gonna use yer powers with all those people around?" He shook his head, "No, because it'll blow yer cover and the cover of everyone else here at tha Institute, and tha next thing ya know, we're all strapped to lab tables bein' dissected or somethin'." He glared at them, adding, "An' I don't wanna be dissected."

"Another reason I s'pose I should mention," He continued after a moment, gesturing over to the goth girl sitting on a bench a ways away, "is mutants like me an' Rogue. We can take yer powers away with a touch, which would leave ya defenseless. Now do you all see the need fer physical combat trainin'?" he cracked his knuckled and grinned menacingly. "'Cause if ya still don't, after all tha rational explanations, I'm gonna havta start beatin' the need for it inta ya." Seeing them all nod, he frowned as if disappointed at not getting to carry through on his threat.

Ranma continued walking up and down the line, finally stopping before a short, cute girl with reddish-brown hair tied up into two small ponytails. She was wearing an odd long-sleeved high-necked green shirt that had no shoulders and very light blue jeans. "Rahne Sinclair?" He asked, staring her directly in the eyes.

She returned his gaze, her bright blue eyes staring into his own before turning her head as she blushed lightly. "Aye, that is me." She answered and a small yet strong voice with a lilting Scottish accent.

"I've been told ya have some trainin' in tha Art." Ranma said, "How much?"

"Second-dan in judo, fourth in shaolin kempo karate," Rahne answered confidently, "I also hav' some trainin' in aikido."

Ranma raised an eyebrow. That was quite a bit more than he expected, especially for someone so young; granted, he himself held higher rankings in those and several other styles when he was her age, but for someone who had not lived a life on the road with constant martial arts training, it was very impressive. "Not bad," He said, nodding. "Alright then, Sinclair, let's see whatcha got. Lead tha rest of 'em in a basic warm-up exercise."

Rahne nodded, a little hesitant about being placed in charge, but moved to stand at the front of the group. Ranma stepped back, standing next to Rogue and observing silently. As the girl showed the others some very basic forms, Ranma observed her technique and couldn't find much to fault her on. It was beginner's stuff, yes, but the fact that she still kept her form perfect for something she hadn't had to do in several years spoke volumes about her ability.

The other new recruits, however, were barely managing to follow along, even after Rahne had slowed down and showed them how to do it in separate pieces. From what Ranma could tell, non of them had any practical combat instruction. Which meant they wouldn't be ready for an exercise like the one Rahne was showing them for at least another week.

"Alright, enough." Ranma said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Rahne's shoulder. "Sinclair here is gonna be my teachin' assistant from here on out, simply because she's better than all of tha rest of ya."

Rahne's widened as she heard this, and she looked up at the pigtailed boy. She had seen how he moved earlier, and could tell he was leagues beyond her skills; he thought she was good enough to help him. She blushed when he looked down at her, turning her head away and grinning widely.

"What that means fer tha rest of ya," Ranma said, addressing the entire group, "Is that during trainin', when Rahne tells ya to do somethin', an I don't tell ya different, you do it. Disobey her, and she has my permission ta kick yer ass. After which, I will kick your ass. Got it?"

He paused for a moment, looking each one of them in the eye. After seeing them all nod, and chuckling inwardly when a few shivered in fear or anger - he wasn't sure which, and didn't really care - he continued. "Now, first session is tomorrow afternoon, three pm sharp. You do not want to be late." He jerked his thumb towards the mansion. "Now get outta my sight."

He was pleased to see several of the students shooting him glares as they walked past him and into the mansion; angry students meant driven students. He was about to follow after them when he felt a tug on his sleeve. "Rahne?" He asked, seeing the Scottish girl behind him.

"Mr. Ranma," She said softly, "Are ye sure ye want me as yuir teachin' assistant? I mean-"

"First of all," Ranma said, cutting her off. "Call me Ranma. And second, yeah, I want ya as my assistant. Unless ya don't want tha job."

"But," Rahne said, frowning slightly, "I saw ye move when ye were dodgin' Bobby's ice; yuir much more skilled than I am. Why do ye need an assistant in the first place?"

Ranma looked over his shoulder for a moment, then leaned in close to her. "I'll let ya in on a little secret," He said softly. "I can't handle all of 'em myself; not them, plus the older students. You get me? That's why I need yer help; ya already have tha skill, an ' there ain't much I can teach ya in either this class or tha advanced class that ya don't already know." He paused, considering something. "I could give ya private lessons, but with this group, my morning sessions, the Danger room simulations, and my own trainin', not to mention school startin' in a couple of weeks and my desire to have somethin' of a life outside of martial arts, I doubt we'd have the time."

"So I won't be learnin' anythin'?" Rahne asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course ya will be," Ranma said, "Yer gonna learn how ta teach. Now go inside with tha others; you an' tha others gotta meet with Scott and Jean."

Grinning, Ranma stood up straight and ruffled her hair, not realizing his touch in that manner was affecting the animal side of the lycanthropic girl's personality. Rahne closed her eyes; if she had her tail at the moment, Rahne was certain it would be wagging fast and hard enough to break through concrete. He had just the right touch...

She almost whimpered when he removed his hand and walked away. She sighed in slight disappointment when she saw him wrap an arm around Rogue's waist and head into the mansion.

"Figures he would have a girlfriend," Rahne muttered to herself, sticking her hands in her pockets. He was strong, cute, and his scent was _just right_ - so of course he was already taken. Of course, if he wasn't, the slight age difference probably would have bothered him...

Rahne smiled, shaking off the disappointment. Oh well, at least she'd get to watch him during training every day; and besides, there were plenty of other cute boys at the Institute.

* * *

"Y'know," Ranma said, propping himself up on one elbow, "Ya never told me why you don't havta have a codename." He lazily traced a pattern on Rogue's bare stomach with his fingertips. The two were in his room, and as had become standard since That Night - as they had taken to calling it - Rogue was wearing very little. She reveled in times they could spend like this, where she not only got to be alone with Ranma, but she got to wear something other than attire that covered her from head to toe, and enjoy the feeling of the air against her skin. Right now she was clad in nothing but a pair of black shorts and a drak green halter top. 

"'Rogue' is mah codename." She replied, laughing lightly when his fingers began traveling higher.

"Really?" Ranma questioned. "Then what's yer real name?"

"Nuh-uh," Rogue shook her head emphatically, "Ah ain't told anyone, ah Ah ain't tellin' anyone. Ah hate mah real name."

The pigtailed-boy grinned. "Alright, now ya have me curious," He said, "I'm afraid I ain't gonna let ya outta this bed until you tell me yer real name."

The southern girl raised an eyebrow. "Not gonna let me outta yer bed?" She repeated, grinning widely, "I havta admit, Ah'm a bit surprised at yer boldness, especially since it's tha middle of tha day. But if yah think were ready fer that step..." She trailed off, sliding her fingers up his bare chest and lasciviously tracing her tongue along the outer edge of her lips.

Ranma shivered and shook his head. "You fight dirty, woman..." He mumbled. "Alright then, new plan, new plan..." He frowned, unable to think of a new plan. "C'mon, tell me. I won't tell anyone, promise."

"Uh-uh."

"Please?"

"Nope."

"I'll-" He cleared his throat and fought back a blush. "I'll do that thing you like."

"No w - Really?" Rogue raised an eyebrow, a mischievious smile coming across her face.

Ranma closed his eyes and nodded silently.

"Alright then, you go on an' do it, an' then Ah'll tell yah."

"Hey, that's not how this is s'posed ta work!"

"Tough, that's tha way it's workin'!"

Ranma mock-sighed. "Oh, alri-" He was cut off by a knock a the door. "Yeah?" He called irritably.

"Hey, Ranma?" Kitty said, phasing her upper body through the door, holding a letter in one hand while she covered her eyes with the other. "This like, just came for you in the mail. It's from that Ryouga guy."

"Is that an actual challenge letter?" Ranma asked, awe in his tone. "I don't know which ta be more surprised about; Ryouga actually bein' formal 'bout this, or Ryouga actually rememberin' the address of anywhere." Pushing himself off the bed, Ranma walked over and took the letter, pausing to look at the girl for a moment. "Why are ya coverin' yer eyes?"

"Because I so don't want to see what kinda freaky stuff you guys are up to in here," Kitty answered, phasing back through the door.

Ranma blinked and looked over at Rogue, who shrugged. Tearing open the letter. "'Dear Saotome...blah blah blah... challenge you...yadda yadda yadda... seen hell...'-" he flipped over to the next page, "'... have you made preparations for your forthcoming demise...etc etc etc' " He yawned and skipped ahead to the last page. "Ah, here we go. Pig boy finally reaches the point. "I challenge you, Ranma Saotome, to a no-powers duel of honour sometime in the next month at the Xavier Institute. Signed, Ryouga Hibiki.' Some time in the next month? Jeez, stupid pig"

"Fine, whatever," Rogue said, having gotten impatient while he was reading the novel that was Ryouga's challenge letter. "Put tha stupid thing down, get yer butt back over here, and make good on yer promise!"

He grinned, tossing the letter aside. "Yes ma'am!"

Ranma had just made it back to the bed when there was a second knock at the door. "Yes?" He growled in barely-concealed irritation.

"Yo, Ranma." Scott's voice said from the other side of the door, "Telephone."

"Who is it?"

"Melinda."

"Take a message."

"She says it's important."

"Take an important message then!"

"Scott!" Rogue shouted at the door, "Just take a freakin' message and get tha heck outta here, or Ah'm gonna nail yer shades tah yer head!"

"...gotcha." Scott mumbled weakly. Seconds later they heard footsteps heading away from the door.

"Alright," Ranma said a moment later while trailing his fingers up her stomach. "I ain't answerin' the next person."

"It's ain't polite ta talk with yer mouth full anyway," Rogue said with a lewd grin.

* * *

Grumbling as he went to find a something to write the message on, Scott stopped suddenly outside the door to Bobby and Ray's room. Grinning wickedly as a thought occured to him, he tapped on the door, making sure to hold his hand tightly over the reciever on the phone. 

A moment later the door opened, and Bobby's head popped out. "Yeah?"

"Bobby," Scott said, taking a quick look to make sure the coast was clear, "I overheard your Ranma impression the other day... wanna have some fun with it?"

Bobby's raised an eyebrow. "What kinda fun?" He asked, his face twisting into a mischievious grin.

Scott's grin mirrored his as he stepped into the room.

* * *

Melinda grinned as she closed her cell phone. "Well, we have a date," She told her cousin, who was sitting at the other end of the table, re-applying the white polish to her nails. "He agreed to hang out with us this weekend, and while he didn't say it, I'm certain Rogue will be coming with him." 

"Perfect," Emma said, not looking up. "This will give me a chance to meet the boy and perceive this 'indescribable allure' of his for myself. It will also be the perfect opportunity to size up the - I mean, your competition."

"And I can continue the overture of plain friendship towards the both of them," Melinda smirked, "I know Rogue won't trust me, however, no matter what I claim my intentions are."

"And such a thing will work to your benefit, Melinda-dear," Emma said, blowing softly on her nails. "The profile we purchased of the boy describes him as 'trusting to a fault'; if she seems paranoid and jealous about someone he sees as just a friend, it'll only hurt her. Similar to how that 'Akane' girl messed up." Emma was a firm believer in learning from the past mistakes of others to keep herself from making the same errors in the future.

"Not my usual method," Melinda admitted, "But I'm capable of working on a more subtle level when the need arises."

"Of course you are," Emma replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "You are a Frost, and a Frost can adapt to any situation in order to achieve victory." She grinned widely, showing off two rows of perfect, pearly-white teeth. "Which is the reason a Frost will always get what they want in the end."

* * *

End Chapter 12

* * *

Author's notes: This is not the official beginning of Season Two; rather, it is more of a 'preview' chapter, setting up various things and events for Season Two. I know I skipped ahead several weeks in some parts, but seriously, I do not want to go through every single thing that happened over three whole months in one chapter. I am aware that some out there might call this chapter 'filler'. I on the other hand, call it 'set up and foreshadowing disguised as filler'. 

Emma has arrived, and I want to clear something up to any who might be thinking it. At the moment, Emma Frost DOES NOT have her powers, nor does she have a connection to the Hellfire Club. Notice I said 'At the moment'. She is however, very intuitive and has a natural tendency to guard her thoughts as a way to help control her emotions. This may give the impression she has her powers, but she doesn't. Not yet.

I was going to reveal Ranma's powers in this chapter, but when I wrote the scene, I realized it would be better off in a chapter that did not have so damn much else going on in it. Next chapter, which is the official beginning of Season Two, I promise it will be revealed. So far, and I might be wrong on this count, five or six people have managed correct guesses.

I've begun to give Rahne more of a character than she has in the original series. Part of the reason this chapter took so long to get out - other than my internet connection turning to crap over the weekend - was I spent several hours watching and re-watching the episode 'Retreat' in order to pick up how to write Rahne's accent. Why Rahne, some of you may ask? Simple. I like her, and wanted to give her a larger role.

Next chapter will take place around the time of 'Growing Pains', although most of what happens in the episode won't be happening now.

In other news...I have not had a freakin' cigarette in two days...I'm starting to twitch violently...

* * *

_6/25/07: Edited out mention of A's boyfriend. Wasn't meant to come in this chapter. That's what I get for doing the final pre-read without any nicotine in my system at 2am..._


	13. Chapter 13

**Evolution 1/2**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2 or X-Men: Evolution, although I do have them. They came to me, looking for protection, I swear. No, those aren't adamantium shackles holding them down those are... um... friendship bracelets...

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

* * *

_This chapter takes place during the episode 'Growing Pains'_.

* * *

It was a beautiful day in Nerima; the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and has had become the norm in only the past few months, there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Residents of the district could count the number of times it had so much as drizzled on one hand, and only the local umbrella salesmen were lamenting this fact. Not very many understood why the weather had changed so suddenly, but aside from the aforementioned salesmen, nobody really cared either. The local weatherman could now walk the streets safely, without fear of being bombarded with the rotten fruit of the angry populace. 

Of course, the local construction companies had begun to file for bankruptcy, which was something that made a bit more sense to the district's inhabitants than the change in weather patterns. The majority of the areas super-powered martial artists had up and left, and as a result the collateral damage from their fights was down as well. Nobody, of course, talked about this; Lady Luck was known to withdraw her blessing from those who acknowledged it.

Akane bounced down the stairs of her home with a spring in her step and a smile on her face; before the change in the weather, this would have been an odd occurrence, and likely would have sent many running for the hills in fear. The few that made the connection between the change in weather, the drop in collateral damages, and Akane Tendo's new attitude understood perfectly. The cause of all three was the disappearance of the short-haired girl's Jusenkyo-cursed, pigtailed trouble-magnet of a fiancé. Those that didn't make the connection, and didn't run in fear, were simply happy to see such a pretty young woman finally smiling again.

She looked so cute when she smiled.

"Morning Daddy!" Akane said, planting a kiss on her father's cheek and taking her seat at the table.

"Morning Akane-chan," Soun greeted with a smile, looking up from the daily paper and it's formidable - but highly aggravating - crossword puzzle. "You seem awfully happy this morning."

"What isn't there to be happy about?" Akane said with a small giggle. "It's a beautiful day out, Uncle Saotome's finally back to continue my training, and best of all, it's the first day of a new school term." She beamed at her father and served herself a bowl of rice.

"You never seemed to be that excited about school before, Akane-chan," Kasumi said, looking up from her Physics textbook; next to her was a pile of books on the same and similar subjects, only a few of which had actually been assigned by her classes. Such a fascinating topic, even more so than those medical texts Doctor Tofu used to lend to her. Instead of her usual house dress, the eldest Tendo daughter was clad in a casual pair of loose blue jeans and a long-sleeved white t-shirt, which had become her standard school attire. "Is that nice Tatewaki boy no longer pursuing you?"

"No!" Akane said happily, "His father shipped him off to military school over the summer after he led the kendo club on a preemptive strike against the teacher's lounge! Something about vengeance for giving him a failing grade on a poetry assignment!" The youngest Tendo laughed ecstatically - and slightly madly - resisting the urge to get up and dance with a pair of victory fans.

"Oh," Kasumi said distractedly, looking down at her book again. "That's nice; I'm sure he'll have a wonderful time there." A small frown crossed her pretty features as she reread the paragraph and recalled something from one of her other books. They appeared to have made a small mistake on the electromagnetic wave equation in regards to the method of determining the speed of propagation in a vacuum... Picking up her pen, she quickly corrected it. Smiling brightly now that the book was correct, she put the pen down and resumed reading.

"Well," Akane said, springing to her feet and swinging her book bag over her shoulder. "I don't want to be late! Have a nice day, daddy. Enjoy your classes, Kasumi."

"Have a nice day Akane-chan," Soun replied distractedly, tapping a pen against his chin as he looked down at the paper. "Hmmm... nine-letter word, starting with 'S', for 'mode of speciation...'"

"Sympatric," Kasumi replied absently, not looking up as she finished her book and opened up the next one in the pile.

Soun blinked and wrote it in. "Hey, it works..." he mumbled.

Stepping out the door, Akane practically skipped out the gate and along the street. She just knew it was going to be a great day.

Akane had been upset - scratch that; she'd been downright livid - when her perverted baka fiancé had vanished all those months ago, jumping to the conclusion that he had run off with one - or even both - of those other floozies. She had been able to picture it so clearly: Ranma with his hands all over both girls as the three of them laughed at her, then started performing acts of despicable perversion upon each other. Akane had been ready to track him down and teach him yet another lesson about being a stupid cheating pervert, as well as for putting perverted thoughts into her head.

Uncle Genma and Nabiki had stopped her however, pointing out the fact that she had no idea where he was. Seeing Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kodachi still in Nerima, and also with no idea where he had run off to had quelled her anger a fair amount, but not by much. Even the mention of him had sent her looking for something to smash and vent her rage upon. But all she had were concrete blocks, and they did little to help her feel better. So for several weeks, her anger built inside her without any of her regular, tried-and-true methods of releasing it available to her. She couldn't even get into a fight with the other fiancées; the Amazons had left to hunt down Ranma, Ukyo had vanished - presumably for similar reasons - and Kodachi hadn't been seen in weeks.

Then Kuno had reinstated his 'defeat Akane if you wish to date her' policy.

The resulting morning fights had proven to be immensely therapeutic, and within a week Akane had begun to feel a lot better. With a way of venting her anger, she found she was actually able to think more clearly, and had come to several emotionally freeing conclusions.

She was a tomboy. And god dammit, she _liked_ being a tomboy.

So what if she enjoyed martial arts, violent movies and sports? And in contrast, so what if she wasn't good at cooking, sewing, or any other traditional female things? Not to say that she didn't want to learn how to do all those things, but not knowing how to do them didn't make her any less of a woman. So what if she wasn't as feminine as the other girls; the boys still found her attractive - which, she had to admit, she enjoyed knowing, even if they were all stupid perverts and she wouldn't give any one of them the time of day until they at least made an attempt to mature.

She also came to realize that Ranma was not one of those stupid perverts and perhaps she had judged him unfairly based upon their disastrous first meeting. And throughout everything that had happened since then, she hadn't let him out of the 'perverted jerk' category she had placed him in upon arrival. She had reread the note he'd left, and was forced to admit he was right about a lot of things; perhaps if their first meeting had gone better, they may have been able to work something out. But they both knew - from what he'd said in his note, and what she'd been able to determine after thinking extensively for the past few weeks - that they would never have made a good couple in the end.

But, he had promised to come back, and when he did, maybe they could make a decent attempt at being friends.

Entering the school yard, she smiled when she saw the hentai horde had decided to continue the morning activities despite the absence of their leader. Cracking her knuckles, she tossed her book bag aside and leaped into the fray.

None of them were any real challenge, of course, with the exception of a few members of the karate club - she thought one of them had actually managed to tag her - but even she was surprised with how quickly she managed to take them all out. Maybe she was getting better, or the training Uncle Saotome was giving her was beginning to pay off...

...or maybe it was that boy in the school uniform three feet away from her, standing in a ready position above the defeated forms of several other students. Several other students that he had no business fighting.

"Hey!" She declared angrily, closing the short distance between them. "Who do you think you are, butting in on MY fight?!"

The boy turned around, revealing a handsome face with deep brown eyes, above one of which an eyebrow was currently raised. He had straight black hair that hung just past his shoulders, with red-dyed bangs hanging over his forehead. "I think I'm Shiro Yoshida," he replied, a touch of oddly familiar arrogance in his tone. "And I was helping you out."

"I didn't need your help!" She stated angrily, her eyes locking with his in an intense glare; an impressive feat, considering he was almost a foot taller than her. "This was my fight, and I could have handled it myself!"

"Well, excuse me," He bit back, flipping a strand of hair out of his eyes, "I saw a pretty girl gettin' ganged up on, and thought I might be a gentleman and help her out." He turned around, flipping his book bag over his shoulder as he began walking towards the door. "Next time, I'll ignore that instinct and let ya get clobbered, girlie."

Akane glared after him, pushing aside the odd sensation of deja-vu. Just what she needed, another BOY who thought she was a helpless girl in need of rescue. And how dare he call her girlie! She'd show him how much of a tomboy she was!

Picking up her bag with a huff, she followed him inside, her glare burning a hole into his back as she prepared to give him a piece of her mind.

* * *

"Ah, home sweet home," Nabiki said as she entered the Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding house, her teammates following behind her. The two months spent in Japan had passed quickly, to Nabiki's surprise, especially since most of the more eccentric and violent residents of her home district appeared to have moved on, either in search of Ranma or other reasons. Happosai had only shown up once, and even then he hadn't paid attention to anyone, only staying long enough to pack his bags, talking excitedly about a month-long women's beach volleyball tournament down in Shikoku. 

Not that Nabiki had minded him being gone, it was just that with him went the last of the insanity in the little district. And while Akane seemed happy about the boredom, Nabiki had been... well... bored. So bored she had even joined in on her teammates training, as well as helping Kasumi with her studies - and surprisingly, the latter activity was the one that actually ended up wearing her out more. Who knew her older sister had such a thirst and fervor for knowledge? Nabiki supposed it made sense, since she was finally able to return to school, but nonetheless the middle Tendo had found it more than slightly unsettling.

"I thought the place we just stayed at for the last two months was your home," Lance commented, dropping his bag on the floor and jumping onto the couch. Seconds later, the remote was in his hands and CSI: Fairbanks was on the television.

"Yes," Nabiki admitted, a small smile crossing over her face, "It's home, but so it this place. For me, home is wherever family is, and you gu-" She cut herself off suddenly, blinking rapidly and shaking her head. She hadn't been about to say that, had she?

Todd raised an eyebrow, already in his beanbag chair. "What was that, sweetums?"

"Nothing," Nabiki replied hurriedly, heading for the stairs.

"Nothing?" Lance repeated, shooting her a grin, "Are ya sure? 'Cause it sounded like you were about to say we were fam-"

"I said nothing of the sort, and there was no slip of the tongue," Nabiki interrupted as she carried her bags up the stairs. "You were hearing things, Alvers. I think all those vibrations are beginning to effect your eardrums. I suggest you four stop thinking about things you think you hear, and start thinking about the work we have to do when the new school term starts tomorrow."

"Right Nabs," She heard Pietro call up after her, his tone dripping with amused sarcasm, "Musta been our imaginations..."

"Stupid tongue," she muttered to herself, opening the door to her room and flipping on the light switch. "Slipped up and now the guys know I actually care..." Dropping her bags on the floor, Nabiki flopped onto her bed, covering her face with her arms. "Must be the jet lag getting to me."

"About time you and the fools got back, Network," A familiar voice said as the door suddenly slammed shut.

Nabiki sprang to her feet, a mental attack at the ready before she even realized she recognized the voice. Seeing the speaker, she blinked and stepped back, all thoughts of attacking gone form her mind. "Mystique?"

"As observant as ever, Tendo," The blue-skinned mutant said sarcastically, a smirk adorning her features as she watched the younger mutant from her position against the door.

"What are you doing here?" Nabiki asked, "Where have you been?" She blinked and looked the woman over, noting the changes in her clothing; that black leather miniskit, half top and boots would look damn good on her. "What's with the new outfit, and where can I get one?"

"I don't have time for your questions, Tendo," Mystique replied. "As I hope you have figured out, I'm laying low at the moment. You have command of the other morons for now, so keep them training and keep them sharp." She snorted, adding. "Well, as sharp as they ever get."

"Another thing," She continued, cutting off Nabiki just as her mouth opened to as another question. "You have made a wise decision to split from Magneto, but know that he has not separated himself from you. Pietro has remained in contact with his father despite the failure at Asteroid M."

"That little..." Nabiki muttered, frowning. How had she not sensed that? She'd been in his head often enough in the past three months. "When I get my hands on him-"

"You will do nothing," Mystique told her, "You will not tell him or the others what you know about this. Let him play double agent for now; we may need his aid - whether he knows it or not - when we strike at Magneto."

That made sense, Nabiki admitted to herself; keeping Pietro, even if he was a double-agent, meant they could feed faulty information to Magneto. She'd have to tell Lance, though, so he didn't accidentally give him anything confidential. Although, on second thought... giving two sets of information that were so obviously contradictory could have some very- "Wait," She said, suddenly, her thoughts cut off when she registered the last thing Mystique had said, "We're going against Magneto?" She wasn't so sure about going against that madman; from what she could tell, he had far more power than she or her whole team could deal with.

"Of course we are," Mystique answered, narrowing her eyes, "He won't simply let us go; I've known the man for too many years now to think he'd just give up on all of us, especially me. Especially not for the humiliation I've caused him."

"I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with knowing Pietro is still in with his father," Nabiki said, "But if we can sway him to report on his father, or give Magneto incorrect information..."

"If you can figure out a way, then do it." Mystique ordered flippantly, pushing away from the door and opening the window. "Just don't mess up and let him know that you know. And even more importantly, don't break cover; it's not yet time for the humans to learn about us. And Tendo," She added, slitting her eyes as she gazed at her subordinate, "I was never here; remember that."

Without another word, the shape-shifter shrank, her arms forming into wings and her feet drawing up into her body and forming sharp talons. Seconds later, the woman-turned-hawk was out the window an flying into the setting sun.

"Right," Nabiki muttered, lying down on her bed again. "Nope, never here."

* * *

"Hmmm..." Ranma sighed, stretching lazily across the couch as he flipped through the channels. He and Rahne were sitting in the media room, trying to find something worth watching. The rest of the main team were either in a Danger Room simulation or off doing their own thing, while the new recruits were preparing for the first day at their new schools tomorrow. 

"Boring... lame...CSI..." He yawned in a very over-exaggerated manner, clicking the 'next channel' button on the remote at near-Amaguriken speed. "Cooking show... sitcom... more CSI..."

"Ye know," Rahne said, shooting him an amused look from her spot on the other end of the couch, "ye might be able t'find somethin' if ye let yuirself actually watch a little bit of it." The lycanthrope was taking advantage of the - relative - absence of everyone else in order to spend some time alone with the pigtailed boy. She knew he probably saw her as more of a little sister than as a potential love interest - not to mention he was sort of with Rogue, although according to Kitty they were not technically official - but she couldn't help herself. He read as a definite pack alpha to the wolf side of her psyche - although admittedly, Scott and Logan read as alphas as well. The difference Ranma had over them was his scent; he just smelled so... right.

"Feh," Ranma snorted, "If tha half-second I manage ta see ain't enough ta capture my interest, the rest of the show ain't worth my ti-hey, Iron Chef..." He trailed off, leaning towards the television and setting the remote on the couch. "What the... 'Challenger Kuonji'- Ucchan?"

"Ye know 'er?" She asked, discretely scooting closer. If he noticed, she could play it off as planning to steal the remote.

"Yeah," Ranma said, his tone slightly disbelieving as he watched his childhood friend dice a squid and throw the pieces onto the grill, "Ukyo Kuonji, one of my best buddies from back in Japan. Amazin' cook, makes the best okonomiyaki in tha world. What's she doin' challengin' Morimoto?"

"Winnin', it looks like," Rahne replied with a giggle as a small spatula sliced through Morimoto's hat, pinning it to the wall behind him. "When did they add actual combat ta Iron Chef?"

"Last season," Ranma replied, licking his lips at the sight of the seafood okonomiyaki Ukyo was creating while she interrogated one of Morimoto's captured assistants. "After tha increase in ratings when that disgruntled challenger attacked Iron Chef Chen with Chairman Kaga's sword when he lost the Cabbage Battle."

"I... don't think I saw that episode," Rahne replied, again scooting closer to the pigtailed boy.

"It was a good one," Ranma replied with a grin. "Turned out Iron Chef Chen is a damn skilled knife-thrower, and Kaga's sword ain't just for show; he knows damn well how ta use it. In the end, they gave tha challenger extra points for using tha theme ingredient in every one of his attacks."

Rahne's laughter was drowned out by loud rock music blaring through a pair of headphones attached to a cute blond who had danced into the room at that very moment. She was wearing a pair of tight blue jeans and a pink short-sleeve button-down blouse, and she seemed to be oblivious to the idea that she might be bothering anyone. That, or she didn't care. Having known the girl for a few weeks now, Rahne was betting on the latter.

Tabitha looked up and smiled widely upon seeing the occupants of the room. "Heya wolf-girl, hey cutie!" She greeted loudly, not removing her headphones as she continued to dance. "What's shakin'?"

"Yuir the one shakin', from the looks of it," Rahne teased.

"Heya," Ranma replied absently, not looking away from the screen.

"Oh, cutie," Tabitha yelled again, "Just remembered, you got some people for you outside the gate."

"Who?"

"Can't remember," Tabitha replied airily, slipping the headphones down to her neck, "I wasn't really paying attention. You should probably go see 'em though, they've been waiting about twenty minutes now."

"What?" Ranma asked, bolting to his feet, "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I couldn't find ya," The blond replied with a carefree smile, "Then I got distracted by Amara's cd player and I just forgot. You know how it is."

"Right," He replied, rolling his eyes and went through the opposite door the blond girl had come through. He was stopped dead in his tracked when a large chunk of ice fell on his head, following a half-empty bucket of water.

Looking down at herself, Ranma was pleased to see the same skin tone as her male form; the image inducer that weird Forge kid had cooked up was working perfectly, and he had even managed to get it to only take effect when it noted a change in mass. Had taken him a hell of a long time to make it, but it was definitely worth the wait.

"Drake," She muttered, removing the bucket. "Third damn time today."

"Hey Rahne," She called over her shoulder as she wrung her hair dry, "Tell me if Ucchan wins. Also," Ranma added with a mischievous grin. "I'll be given' Bobby a 'special lesson' tomorrow, kay? So prepare ta have one less student."

"Not fair," Tabitha said with a shake of her head and a grin as the boy-turned girl walked away, her image-inducer deactivating as she shifted forms. "Not fair that such a cutie turns into a girl like that. Oh, wolf-girl," She added, looking over at Rahne and slipping the headphones back over her ears, "Slumber party in mine and Amara's room tonight. You comin'?"

Tabitha didn't even wait to see Rahne's nod as she danced back out of the room, her headphones blaring once again and making the lycanthropic girl's sensitive ears twitch.

* * *

"What is taking him so long?" Emma muttered irritably as she leaned against Melinda's car. "It's been nearly half an hour already, it shouldn't take that long for someone to get ready." 

"Probably trying to convince skunk-hair to come along," Melinda replied, checking her make-up quickly in the side-view mirror. "He'll be here, though. He said he'd join us tonight, and he always keeps his word."

"I detest having to wait," Emma replied, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. She was dressed in her usual revealing white-leather top and tight leather pants, despite Melinda's protests before they'd left. Emma however, was insistent upon seeing Ranma's reaction, claiming she wanted to verify the information about the boy being unresponsive to women in deliberately revealing clothing.

Melinda hadn't believed her for a second, but dropped the argument. Getting Emma to dress in a non-provocative manner was like trying to teach a cat to play fetch; not impossible, but the time and effort required made you truly wonder if the goal you were trying to attain was really all that necessary. "It won't be much longer," Melinda assured her cousin. She herself was clad in a short red denim skirt, black nylons and her standard purple half-shirt.

Her prediction appeared to be accurate, as Ranma soon came down the pathway, stopping at the gate. Seeing and recognizing one of his guests on the other side, he quickly hopped over the wall and landed on the other side.

"Heya Mel," He greeted with his trademark 'unknowing lady-killer smile', "How ya been? This yer cousin?"

Melinda responded with a smile of her own, resisting the impulse to latch onto his arm. "I've been well," She replied, "And yes, this is my cousin Emma. She's transferred to Bayville for senior year." She giggled at the reflexive grimace that came over Ranma's face at the reminder that the new school year was starting the following day.

"A pleasure to meet you, Ranma," Emma said, putting an emphasis on the word 'pleasure'. Flashing him a dazzling smile and stepping forward into a slight bow which accentuated her cleavage, she added, "Melinda has told me so much about you."

"Nice ta meetcha, Emma," Ranma said with a brief wave before turning back to Melinda, and thus missing the look of shock his apparent dismissal had on the other Frost. "So, did ya come here just so I could meet yer cousin?"

"Uh, no," Melinda replied, giving him an odd look, "Did you forget you said you'd hang out with us tonight?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, scratching the back of his head in confusion, "When did I agree ta that?"

"The other day, when I called you," Melinda sighed, "Don't tell me you forgot."

"Can't forget somethin' I never said I'd do," Ranma muttered, looking back up at the mansion. When was the last time Melinda had called? And more importantly, who could have answered the phone, said they were him, was capable of pulling it off convincingly, and would get the most amusement out of setting him up for something like this?

Ranma stopped thinking up suspects when the list became too long; this would be a lot easier to figure out if he and Kurt hadn't accidentally gotten everyone else involved in their little brotherly prank war after the Jell-O incident. He'd have to deal with this, and make an appropriate retaliation, after he dealt with the current matter. "Sorry Mel," He apologized, "But I didn't agree to nothin'. D'ya remember who answered the phone when you called?"

Melinda frowned and shook her head. "I remember it was a guy, and a little while later he put you - or someone who could manage to sound a lot like you - on." She narrowed her eyes, "Is someone pulling a prank on us?"

"Looks like it," Ranma said with a nod while wondering who could manage to sound like him, "Standard thing 'round here, actually. Sorry ta get ya involved." He smirked, "Ya want in on gettin' 'em back?"

"Oh yeah," Melinda replied with a decisive nod, "No one messes with Melinda Frost like this and gets away with it."

"Cool," Ranma replied, turning to head back inside, "When I find out who did it, I'll let ya know and we can plan the retaliation."

"Wait," Melinda said, snagging his wrist, "Why don't you hang out with us tonight anyway?" A manic gleam entered her eyes, and she added, "'Rampage V: Slaughterranium ' premieres tonight! Agent Throatpunch comes back from the dead as a High Ninja Zombie Lord and pits the world's deadliest warriors in a last-one living competition for the right to blow up the universe!

"Really?" Ranma grinned for a moment, considering, then shook his head regretfully. "Gonna havta give ya a rain check on that one, Mel. Got some stuff t'do 'round here tonight."

"No big," Melinda said with a smile, "But I'm gonna be cashing that rain check later, mister." She added, playfully poking him in the chest.

"It is too bad," Emma said as she opened the passenger side door of Melinda's car, "I was hoping to get to know more about you, Ranma. I suppose that will have to wait, though." She flashed him another dazzling smile and showed far more leg than necessary as she got into the vehicle.

"Yeah, guess so," Ranma replied, smiling back but otherwise unaffected by the display of pure, undiluted sexuality. "Well, sorry again ta disappoint. I'll see the both of ya in school tomorrow."

"Cool," Melinda said, the manic gleam returning to her eyes as she turned to look at Emma, "Now let's go; we can still see Rampage V!"

Ranma had just enough time to notice a frightened look come over Emma's face as her cousin slammed her foot down on the accelerator. "She seems nice," He commented to himself as he pressed his thumb against the identity scanner. He would have just jumped over the wall, but he really didn't feel like dealing with the mansion defenses right now.

In the branches of a tree above the outer walls of the gates of the Xavier Institute, a lean figure in a black bodysuit and matching jacket was silently observing the interaction between the three teens. The formfitting outfit molded around the modest curves of her toned figure, covering her from head-to-toe but showing off her lean musculature. Her features were twice hidden, first behind a pair of orange sunglasses, and again behind a black face mask.

The blond females were negligible, both in combat and in regards to mutantcy; one had a dormant gene, while the other had one that had yet to become active. As such, they had been discarded as figures of unimportance instantly. If need be, they could be taken care of without effort. Experience had taught her early there was no such thing as an innocent bystander; experience had also taught her never to leave witnesses. But there would be no need for that in this case - her superior had stressed the need for subtlety and secrecy at this phase of the mission.

The boy, however, showed with even the smallest of movements a combat ability that outstripped even her own extensive training, if not her experience. The recordings she'd memorized beforehand and was even at this moment analyzing had not done him justice, that she was easily able to determine. She copied every movement he made to memory the second he made it; both because she didn't have a choice but to remember it, and because every little detail could aid in her mission.

Of course, it wasn't just his combat ability that made him the more dangerous of the three; his mutation - which her leader had said the boy didn't even know the full extent of - made him all the more formidable, and not just for the nullification byproduct it produced. She already knew she would not be able to get into his mind, and her abilities in that regard were lacking anyway; so logically, the only way would be to take him out hard and fast, before he could get his bearings, and quickly overwhelm both his abilities and his mutation.

She would have preferred to go after Raven Darkholme directly, but the enhancement she had stolen had boosted her shape-changing abilities exponentially, to the point where she could fool even the most advanced detection methods available. That included, unfortunately, the observer's own mutant abilities. While she had the genetic structure and DNA of the traitor in her mental files, there wasn't much good having it would do her when her quarry could change both as easily as she could breath.

So instead, she had analyzed all the factors, all the data, everything about the woman that she could get her hands on, and had come to the conclusion that this scenario had the best chances for bringing the woman out into the open. The traitor was very protective of her children, the records had shown, despite how she may act otherwise. That was a weakness she intended to exploit. The younger one would be easier to take out, but his teleportation ability meant that there was no way he could be kept as a hostage.

Completely disregarding the two women getting into the car and driving away, the figure kept her gaze on the pigtailed boy as he pressed his thumb against the identity scanner and walked through the gate, the mansion defenses now momentarily deactivated. She briefly considered following along after him, but quickly discarded the option. Even if she was confident in being able to avoid the mansion's sensor network, she wasn't going to risk being caught by the two resident telepaths. She had a formidable resistance to telepathic assault, but she was in no way immune to such attacks, and her own telepathy wasn't anywhere near strong enough to risk it.

Besides, neither were her target; she was here for the boy only, and no one else.

Keeping her alert position, she tapped the corner of her sunglasses and began compiling a report she would later send to her superior, while simultaneously going through her perfect memory and analyzing the data about her target. Thousands upon thousands of possible combat scenarios were created and stored in her mind, although she knew she couldn't trick herself into thinking any of them would play out the way she thought; the traitor's spawn was known for his unpredictability when it came to physical combat. And she had already determined that the only truly accurate data she could get on him, in that regard, would come from a direct confrontation.

* * *

Risty Wilde sat in the bedroom given to her by the host family she was staying with, listening to The Pogues and studying the scroll Genma had given her; more accurately, she was studying the case, as she had not yet been able to open it. She would have preferred to simply find her own apartment, but it made better sense to pose as a foreign exchange student; an English girl of sixteen suddenly moving to the United States without her parents just to attend a specific high school sounded too suspicious for her liking, so she had built her cover further. Much further. 

'Risty Wilde' had a birth certificate, school records, and a full detailed history (as well as a death certificate, just in case). She had friends in Manchester, England who could recall fond memories of time spent with her, of raising hell at various punk concerts and pulling pranks on unpopular teachers. She had a string of ex-boyfriends and one ex-girlfriend from a brief 'experimental phase'; she had former tutors and martial arts instructors. She had even been on the football team in grade school.

It didn't matter that 'Risty Wilde' as a person had never existed up until three months ago, or that the memories had been placed there by a memory-manipulating mutant. Mastermind had owed her a favour, and he had done an impeccable job; no one would be able to refute Risty's existence, and with her host family as the final piece of her cover, she could go about her goals without any interruption. The MacIntyres were nice, for a family of baseline humans, and were perfectly happy to respect her desire for privacy; their own child, some boy who's name she hadn't bothered to remember, was living with her 'parents' in England now as their part of the program.

Her cover firmly established, Risty now had to determine exactly how to accomplish those goals. The primary concern was her own safety, which meant she had to get the scroll open. Risty had seen the devastating power of the senkens - all three of them - with her own eyes, and despite her begging, Genma had refused to teach them to her. He claimed they were too dangerous, with many techniques that could easily kill the wielder and the opponent if done improperly - and many if done properly. He had given the Yamasenken away, and had outright destroyed all copies of the Honousenken; the Umisenken, for reasons Risty did not understand, was merely sealed.

"And it's sealed bloody well, too," She grumbled aloud, her voice drowned out by the music. There was a ki lock on the scroll, just as Genma had claimed, which meant she could not open it without fear of destroying the precious contents inside. Off all three martial arts systems, the steahly Umisenken was the most useful, in her opinion; loud, destructive combat like the Yamasenken, and the outright violent, bloody carnage of the Honousenken attracted far too much attention. The Thousand-Fist Sea would boost her skills as well as give her a method to completely escape detection if the need arose.

But first she had to find a way to get Ranma to open it for her.

She couldn't reveal herself to him, as that would put him in danger, not to mention his knowledge of who she really was would harm her other plans. She couldn't just say she found it, as he would likely recognize his father's handwriting on it and believe it was stolen. She needed to come up with some connection to Genma, while still maintaining her cover, that he would believe. Of course, he would probably want to learn it as well, but she had no problem with that; she could even use it as an excuse for some covert family bonding...

She frowned, leaning back against the bed and tossing the scroll into the air, catching it with her other hand before tossing it back. This was going to require some thought.

* * *

"Well," Emma said, stepping out of the car when they arrived at the Bayville Multiplex, "While things did not go exactly as planned, they did not go badly either." 

"Very true," Melinda said with a smirk, "Playful flirtation, but not coming on too strong and not trying to force him. Essentially remaining myself, but planting the seeds of change to make my 'slow drift into friendship' seem more natural. I noticed you were rather quiet, Em."

"I was observing the boy," the other blond responded, keeping silent that she had actually been stunned silent by his apparent dismissal; the looks she had given him had made many a man require a clean pair of shorts, but he had just shrugged them off. "And I have to agree that he does give off this... undefinable allure that I find most intriguing."

"Well, remember," Melinda said, narrowing her eyes slightly as they made their way to the ticket booth. "He's mine; you can go find your own hunk."

Emma mock-pouted, "But Mel-mel," She forced back a grin at seeing her cousin wince at the childhood nickname, "I thought we shared everything."

"Return Professor Stuffington P. McFluffums and maybe I'll consider," Melinda countered, referring to the beloved stuffed bear Emma had borrowed and promptly lost while they were children.

"Now enough of this," she concluded, slapping a wad of bills and change on the counter as they reached the front of the line, "TWO FOR RAMPAGE V!!" She declared, maniacal fervor consuming her voice and expression.

Emma shuddered, but knew better than to get between her cousin and a Rampage movie; she still had a few scars from the one time she had tried. Sighing, she prepared herself for two-and-a-half hours of explosions, bloodshed and gratuitous sex - without a single line of intelligent dialog throughout.

* * *

Tabitha and Amara's room was an oddly decorated space; on one side - which everybody correctly assumed to be Tabitha's - everything from the bedsheets to the lampshades were wild and bright colours, ranging from hot pink to electric blue. On the wall was a large movie poster for 'Rampage IV: The Explodening', as well as dozens upon dozens of posters and pictures of various bands and attractive male celebrities. The few spaces of wall visible beneath the collage were painted a bright pink. 

In contrast, Amara's side of the room was decorated with subtle earth tones, accentuated by small amounts of bright red thrown in. The entire area was incredibly spartan, with only a picture of Amara and two people one could assume to be her parents on the wall.

"So," Tabitha said conspiratorially, digging a spoon into a pint of Cherry Garcia. She and other three female recruits - Rahne, Jubilee, and Amara - were sitting on the floor on the room, dressed in their various night clothes; for Tabitha, this consisted of a bright pink baby doll tee and a pair of blue short shorts. "Any idea what instructor cutie was going on about earlier?"

"Some prank Kurt probably pulled," Jubilee answered absently. She was sitting on a red cushion in a pair of yellow pajamas, a pint of Phish Pfood at her side. "Although since the Jell-O incident, I wouldn't doubt one of the others might have done it to the jerk."

"He's not a jerk," Rahne declared in defense of her sensei as she finished off her second pint of World's Best Vanilla, wondering if there were any more in Amara's mini-fridge. She was almost swimming in a pair of over-sized green pajamas.

"Ooo," Tabitha grinned, "Careful, Jubes, or Rahnnie's gonna go she-wolf on you for talking bad about her man."

"I don' know what yuir talkin' about," the Scottish girl mumbled in response, although the deep red blush on her face made the other girls think otherwise. "I've just been payin' attention durin' trainin', like ye all should be doin'."

"Oh please," Jubilee said, pointing her spoon at the girl, "We've all seen how you look at the jerk when you 'pay attention'. Although what exactly it is you see when you look at him, I'll never know."

"Are you kidding?" Tabitha asked incredulously. "You can't tell us you haven't taken a good look at the boy, especially when he takes off his shirt at the end of training...mmmm." The blond girl shivered in delight at the mental image.

"He is very cute," Amara threw in, a slight blush on her cheeks as she failed to fight off the memory. "Not exactly my type either, Jubilee, but you have to agree that he's very attractive."

"That doesn't excuse his being a jerk," Jubilee huffed. "A great body doesn't make up for a sub-par personality. That stuff he makes us do as so-called 'training', and did you hear what Scott said about the gophers?"

"Scott is just exaggerating," Amara said.

"Ranma confirmed what he said!"

"That's just him trying to scare us."

"He had scrapbooks!"

Rahne kept silent at that, not wanting to spill the secret that Ranma's odder - and yet incredibly effective - methods were, in fact, completely true.

"Whatever," Jubilee said, crossing her arms. "I still think he's a prick, and I don't care who knows it. Rahne can have him for all I care."

"I don't have 'im," Rahne pointed out as she located another pint of World's Best Vanilla. The other girls were worried about the ice cream going right to their thighs, but with her martial arts training - plus the fact that shape-shifting burned up a lot of calories - Rahne wasn't too concerned. "He's with Rogue, if ye 'aven't noticed."

"So what?" Tabitha said, waving a hand in dismissal and noting the hint of disappointment in the Scottish girl's tone. "Dating may imply exclusivity, but it doesn't mean it."

"Since when?" Amara asked, confused.

"Since always!" Tabitha grinned, pointing her spoon dramatically at Rahne. "So go for it, wolf-girl! All is fair in love and war!"

"I don't know," Rahne said softly, her blush still igniting her face.

"And you won't know," Tabitha stated, "Not until you try. Take a chance, wolf-girl; that's what life is all about!" She fought the urge to burst out into a chorus of 'Take a Chance On Me'; it wouldn't do for the others to learn about her secret love for ABBA.

"Maybe..." Rahne said softly. She didn't want to make Ranma angry with her and ruin the strong friendship they had managed to develop so quickly, nor did she want to hurt Rogue. What options that left her, she didn't know, but for the moment she wouldn't do anything unless he gave some kind of sign.

"He does smell nice," Rahne admitted, her blush returning when the other three girls started laughing.

"Whatever," Jubilee said as the laughter subsided. "Go for it if you want it, Rahne. I still think Bobby's cuter."

"Eww, Bobby?" Rahne said, making a face.

"What's wrong with Bobby?"

"He makes cold, Jubes," Tabitha said with a grin and a wink. "You know how cold effects guys."

Rahne and Amara nodded in agreement, holding back big grins, although Jubilee appeared to be lost.

"Shrinkage." Tabitha quipped, her eyes darting quickly towards the door as she said it.

A loud thump outside the door surprised the other three. The surprise quickly turned into laughter as they heard Bobby's muffled voice on the other side. His desperate claims that his powers didn't have that kind of effect did nothing to decrease the laughter at his expense.

* * *

"Assembly?" Ranma muttered, walking with Rogue into the gymnasium after lunch. The first class of the year had everyone rerouted into the gym for reasons currently unknown to the pigtailed boy.. "What do we need to go to a stupid assembly for?" 

"Ta introduce a new principal, Ah assume," Rogue replied, "Ah doubt yer mom's comin' back ta her old job, after all."

"Good point," Ranma conceded, taking a look around. The bleachers were crowded, but he could see a few open seats. Scott was sitting near the top with a blond guy he'd seen him hanging out with the previous year. Evan and Kurt were a few rows away from him, on the other side of the bleachers, and Jean was making her way to a seat next to a stupid-looking blond guy he'd seen her with, but hadn't bothered to get the name of; her boyfriend, he guessed. Kitty was sitting in the first row, laughing about something with a friend. At the end of that same row, he could see Melinda with her cousin - Esme, or something - waving to him.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Brotherhood standing near the wall next to the exit, and he suddenly realized he hadn't seen them at all since Asteroid M. Making a mental note to see what they'd been up to all summer - as well as find out if they'd heard from his mother - he continued looking for a place to sit. Hopefully he could find a spot where he could catch a nap without anyone bothering him.

"Excuse me?" A soft voice with a light British accent interrupted Ranma's inspection of the area.

The pair looked over towards the source of the voice, a pretty girl with purple hair and quite a bit of make-up, wearing clothes that left as much skin exposed as Rogue's own outfit - that is to say, almost none. She was sitting in the front row of the bleachers, and in her black-gloved hands was a school schedule.

"Do you know how long these assemblies usually last?" The girl asked with a friendly smile.

"Too long," Rogue replied, sitting down next to her. Shrugging in Melinda's direction, Ranma followed her lead and sat down on Rogue's other side.

"Least it gets us outta class," Ranma added. "Then again, it is only the first day, so it ain't like we're gonna learn much anyway; so all it really means is we get ta sit here and be bored with a much larger group of people than usual."

"Right," the girl snickered, "Speaking of classes, would you happen to know where-" she looked down on the sheet, "-Geometry with a 'Mr. Barton' would happen to be?"

"Ah think Ah got him," Rogue said, pulling out her own slightly-tattered schedule. "Yeah, Ah do. Ah can show ya there afterwards if ya like." She leaned back, taking advantage of Ranma's shoulder and resting her head against it. "Yer new, right?"

"Yeah, foreign exchange student," the girl replied, smiling the pair, "I'm Risty Wilde, from Manchester, England."

"Ah'm Rogue," the Southern girl introduced, holding out her hand, which Risty accepted.

"Ooo... I love your gloves!" Risty exclaimed. Pulling back her own hand, she held it up. "I have a thing for gloves myself." She added by way of explanation.

"Manchester?" Ranma repeated, "I was born there."

"Really? Which part?"

"No idea," Ranma admitted.

* * *

"Okay," Nabiki said, leaning against the wall with her team, "We might have a small problem." 

"Whazzat?" Todd asked, munching on a fly he'd managed to snag.

"Something I hadn't considered," Nabiki admitted, gesturing with her head towards the podium erected in the center of the basketball court. Behind it were three chairs, in one of which was sitting a man in glasses - wearing a white dress shirt under a dark blue suit jacket, a long blue-and-gray striped tie, and a pair of dark brown pants - that the brown-haired cyberpath didn't recognize.

"We have a new principal," Nabiki concluded.

"So?" Freddy snorted, "What's tha big deal about a new head geek?"

"The big deal, Freddy," Nabiki responded calmly, "Is that making money in our usual manner is going to become a lot harder. We only got away with a lot of what we did because of our association with Darkholme; I didn't consider the possibility that she'd be gone this year, and now we have a new guy who will likely try and stop every attempt we make."

"So we show him who's boss," Pietro flippantly threw in. "Get some dirt on him, make him work for us."

Nabiki shook her head. "Can't risk it. He might be the type who's willing to let a dirty secret be exposed if it means his school remains 'safe' from 'people like us'. No," She added, "I think we may just have to become a lot more discrete than we are now; if we're careful enough, we may be able to continue as we did before."

"We could, y'know, stop." Todd suggested, flinching back under the glares directed towards him by his teammates. "I mean, just fo' a little while!" He hastily added.

"No," Nabiki shot the idea down. "We need to maintain our current position, especially now that the students know the position exists; if it's left vacant, it means we'll have to kick some usurper out later." She frowned, adding "And we need the money. I'm still getting my paycheck, but it' not enough to support all of us and keep the house in working order."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And I refuse to live in a decrepit pigsty."

Lance, only paying a fraction of attention to the conversation, suddenly pushed himself off the wall and started walking towards the bleachers.

"What's Alvers doing?" Nabiki asked, frowning slightly and rather annoyed by the lack of attention he'd been giving this rather serious - in her opinion - matter.

"Can't you tell, Nabs?" Pietro smirked, gesturing towards a familiar ponytailed girl. "Lance is lookin' to get a certain 'Kitty' caught in a tree."

"Right," Nabiki acknowledged with a roll of her eyes. "How could I forget? He only spent all summer bitching about not seeing her." She sighed, pushing herself off the wall as well. "Oh well, meeting adjourned; may as well see how the cutie's been doing."

She flashed her team a smirk and moved into the bleachers herself, slowly making her way up to Scott. Shooting a random student a glare, she soon freed up a spot next to the boy.

"Hey cutie," She greeted with a smile as she sat down, her hip pressing tightly against his, "Did you miss me?"

"Nabiki," Scott greeted absently, his eyes locked on where Jean was sitting next to Duncan. Nabiki noticed this and frowned slightly, shooting the redhead a short glare; she still hadn't forgotten her two defeats at the hands of the other psychic.

"Suffering from a little unrequited affection?" Nabiki teased, reaching up and turning his head to face her, trailing a fingertip under his chin. "You know, there are other options than Princess over there."

"Uh..." Scott replied dumbly, racking his brain for a response to give her. Fortunately for him, he was given a reprieve in the form of the school administration deciding to begin the assembly.

"If I can have everyone's attention please?" An average-looking man with an average mustache spoke in a completely forgettable voice. The chattter died down after a minute or so, and the man gestured to one of the figures behind him. "Thank you. Now, if you will all give a warm Bayville High welcome, I'd like to introduce you to your new principal, Mr. Edward Kelly." The man behind him stepped forward and greeted the speaker with a firm handshake while the students clapped politely.

In the bleachers, Lance sat behind Kitty giving the entirety of existence the evil eye. The girl in front of him had completely blown him off, and he felt the need to vent a little. Smirking as he saw an opportunity to not only do that, but launch a preemptive strike on the authority figure that might soon be giving The Brotherhood grief about their usual activities, he clenched both his teeth and his fist and concentrated.

The clapping an shouted greetings were suddenly cut off as the entire gym began to rumble, and the standing administration struggled to keep their balance. Principal Kelly failed to do so and fell to the floor hard.

Kitty's eyes widened in fear and she turned to look at the boy behind her, shooting him a frosty look as she confirmed it was he that had caused the tremors. The shaking soon stopped, and he noticed her looking his way and gave her a grin and a half-wave. Turning away, Kitty failed to stifle a giggle at the absurdity of a boy literally causing the earth to move in order to get her attention; it was kind of sweet, in a way.

Pumping his fist in victory, Lance leaned in. "Hey Kitty," He whispered, "You wanna see some real shakin'?" Not waiting for an answer, once again clenched his teeth and focused his powers, and the gymnasium began shaking violently once again. Ignoring both Nabiki's mental order to stop and the frightened screams of the student body, he instead upped the power.

Ranma shot Lance a glare, and was getting ready to stop the boy when he heard the sound of straining metal, followed by the new principal crying out in fear. Looking over, Ranma didn't even think as he bolted out of his seat, grabbing the man and pulling him away from the podium just as it was crushed the by the falling scoreboard crashing into the floor in a massive cloud of dust and a shower of sparks.

Lance's eyes opened at the crashing sound, then widened. "Oh, shit," he muttered; he hadn't meant to go that far.

"Ya all right there, Principal Kelly?" Ranma asked, shooting a glare at Lance. He was pleased to see the other boy looking rather pale at what had almost happened

"Thank you," Kelly managed to gasp out, patting Ranma on the back, "I'm all right, just a little shaken up." He took off his glasses and wiped off the dust that had collected on the lenses. "Ranma Saotome, correct?" He asked quietly. Not waiting for the pigtailed boy's nod, he continued. "I was hoping to speak with you later, and with this recent development, I'd say that need is even more urgent. But for the moment, please take your seat."

Blinking at both the man's seemingly quick recovery from almost being crushed to death, as well as the fact that he seemed to know him, Ranma nodded and did as asked, picking up the somehow-intact microphone and handing it to Principal Kelly before he did.

Shaking his head for a moment to completely clear it, Kelly held up the mike and said the first thing that came to his mind. "Oi... since when is Bayville on a fault line?"

He was rewarded with the laughter of the assembled students and faculty. Admittedly, it wasn't very funny, but the fact that he was capable of making jokes after a near-death encounter spoke well for his character to the student body, even if many only realized it on a subconscious level. Smiling to himself as he saw he now had their attention, Kelly continued.

"All right, I would like to welcome you all to a new school year. I know that filling the vacancy left by Principal Darkholme will not be an easy task, but it is a challenge I am ready to accept, and a challenge I have to admit I am looking forward to both meeting and surpassing. And this brings me to what I hope will be the theme of the coming semester: Meeting new challenges.

"Most of us go through life thinking we aren't so different from everyone around us, that there's nothing that makes us truly unique..." He trailed off, letting his words sink in for a moment before continuing, "And that is a mistake. Each and every one of you, I wager, has some kind of unique skill no one else can claim," He shot Ranma quick smirk. "Some special gift... some ability that makes you stand out from the crowd...

While most of the student body appeared to be trying to understand exactly what he meant by that, the mutants in the audience began to feel slightly self-conscious. Kelly had no idea how right he was, and hopefully, would never know; he might think differently if he knew exactly what some of those 'hidden talents' and 'special gifts' among his student body were.

"That being said," he continued, his tone suddenly changing to express the fervor of his next declaration, "I want your second priority to be... SUPPORTING THE GIRL'S SOCCER TEAM FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP!"

The student body as a whole began cheering, with few exceptions. Ranma, Risty, and Rogue had identical reactions of mocking snorts and bemused looks at the show of school spirit. The Brotherhood, meanwhile, were linked and deciding what to place the odds at and how to handle the betting pools, and thus were too busy to cheer - not that they would have, anyway. Shows of school spirit went completely against their image.

"And that means I want EACH and EVERY ONE OF YOU to show up tonight for the big PRE-GAME RALLY!" Kelly continued to yell, hyping up the crowd further, "CAN WE COUNT ON YOU?!"

The students cheered loudly, and in the commotion Risty stood, tugging on the sleeves of Ranma and Rogue. Gesturing towards the doors, then casting a look of disdain towards the students infested with school spirit, the two picked up on what she was saying. Using the excitement and noise as a distraction, the trio made their way out of the gym.

"Bloody hell," Risty said, shaking her head and tapping her ear. "I think all that cheering nearly burst my eardrums. If I had known Bayville had such insufferable school spirit, I would have requested a different location."

"Not one fer cheerin' are ya?" Rogue asked, snickering lightly.

"Not one for carin' actually," Risty said with a grin, "At least, not for a team that doesn't even use the proper name for the sport they play."

"Championship's tonight," Ranma mused as he flopped down gracefully at the foot of a nearby tree. Rogue laid herself down as well, resting her head on Ranma's ankles, while Risty sat cross-legged a few feet away. "Which seems kinda odd, seein' as how it's tha first day of tha school year."

"They had tha soccer season over tha summer," Rogue said with a shrug, "Ah don't know why, Ah guess they just couldn't find a way ta fit it inta the regular year."

"Huh," Ranma blinked, thinking for a moment. "First I heard of it."

"Jean's been goin' on an' on 'bout it all summer. Hell, ya went ta tha semi-final championship game two days ago" Rogue said with a smirk, giving him an elbow in the gut. "Yah need ta start payin' bettah attention, mistah."

"At least we managed to get out of there before they started serving the poison Kool-Aid," Risty quipped, her lips turning upwards towards her two new friends.

Rogue grinned in response; she liked this new girl already, which was more than she could say about most people.

"So, we got Geometry next," Risty said, turning towards Ranma, "What class do you have?"

Ranma opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out. "Uh... no idea," he finally answered after a moment, pulling a folded and very worn white envelope out of his back pocket. "I never actually got around to opening this thing..."

"You never opened it." Risty said, giving him a flat stare. "We've had them for two weeks now."

"I've been... uh... busy," Ranma said lamely. Leaning in, he supped and hand over his mouth and whispered into Risty's ear. "Blame her," he said, pointing to Rogue, "She's been keeping me 'occupied'." He grunted as Rogue gave him yet another elbow in the gut.

"Well," Risty said, ignoring the byplay and snatching the envelope from his hand. "Let's see what classes you have then..." the corners of her mouth arced downward for a moment.. "Ranma Saotome... Saotome... bloody hell, why does that name sound so familiar to me?"

Ranma raised an eyebrow, inwardly praying to every god he could think of that this girl was not another fiancée or long-lost sibling; he had near-enough of both.

"Bah," Risty continued, shaking her head as she slipped a painted fingernail under the envelope's flap. A quick movement and the envelope was cleanly opened. "It'll come to me eventually."

Removing the tri-folded piece of paper that was inside, Risty opened it up, holding it slightly to the side so Rogue - who had made her way over, curious to find out what classes her man was taking - could see as well.

Both girls stared at the sheet in silence, blinking. As one, they looked up at the pigtailed boy, who wasn't paying them any attention, being rather preoccupied with staring cross-eyed at a butterfly that had landed on his nose.

"Ranma?" Rogue started, "Why... why d'ya have three hours of Advanced Art classes every mornin'?"

* * *

From the roof of the gymnasium, a black-clad figure watched as the three teenagers made idle - and in her mind, utterly pointless - chatter. The purple-haired girl was of no interest to her; a scan of her genetic structure had shown nothing worthwhile to her mission, and was barely worth remembering. Not that she had a choice in the latter. 

The other girl was very important, both as a way of getting to the boy - and through him, his mother - and for the future plans of her superior. Technically, the girl designated 'Rogue' was also a traitor, but one that while much more out in the open, was far harder to take back directly. Unlike Mystique, she had the support of the most powerful telepathic mind on the planet. Not to mention the aid of an entire team ready to come to her assistance at a moments notice.

That didn't mean, of course, that she wouldn't take her out if at all possible. She WAS a deserter, and deserters deserved punishment; it was one of the many harsh lessons her childhood had taught her...

Tapping the corner of her orange sunglasses, the woman's vision zoomed in, getting a close-up of the new girl's face. Memorizing her features, she filed them away for the future; despite the English girl's unimportance at the moment, one never knew when the apparently unimportant would gain power or influence. That was another lesson that had been beaten into her before she had been finally taken out of her war-torn homeland.

Returning her gaze to boy, her eyes narrowed as she set aside a portion of her attention to analyzing the information and mental recordings she had of him. There had to be something, some kind of weakness she could exploit...

* * *

"Thank you for coming," Principal Kelly greeted Ranma as the pigtailed teen entered his office. "Please, sit down." He gestured towards one of the two simple wooden chairs in front of his desk. 

Ranma took a quick look around the office as he shut the door behind him; the new principal had a much different style of decorating than his mother had. Whereas Prinicpal Darkholme had used a darker colour scheme - mainly of deep reds and purples -, Kelly had replaced them with brighter, yet still understated colours, mostly soft blues and greens. Mystique's large and admittedly foreboding desk and high-backed chair had also been replaced with a much smaller desk - with a Bayville school banner on the front - and simple wheeled swivel chair. The lighting was a lot different as well, with an overheard source and open shudders bathing the office in natural light; his mother had usually kept the blinds closed, with only a few sconces on the walls providing a small amount of illumination.

Put all together, the new prinicpal's decorating scheme was a lot more friendly and welcoming, but still providing an air of authority; obviously, Prinicpal Kelly was not intending to use fear and intimidation at the levels Principal Darkholme had.

"Well, ya said you wanted ta speak with me," Ranma said as he took the offered seat. Looking up at the new principal, he was somewhat surprised to find his eyes met with the older man's; his mother and Principal Kuno had both used methods to make it seem as if they were looking down at any student who came into their office. Definitely going for the friendly approach.

"Is it 'bout me pushin' you away from tha fallin' scoreboard and potentially endangerin' myself, thus puttin' the school and you yourself at risk of possible lawsuit?" Ranma asked, doing his best not to crack up at the look of bemused surprise on Kelly's face.

"In part," Kelly said after a moment, pulling a folder out from a drawer in his deak. "And I suggest you do not take such an idea lightly. I have looked over your file, and while I will admit you possess remarkable physical abilities, especially if half of what your Physical Education teachers have said is true, there is always a risk." He stared hard at Ranma over the rims of his glasses. "That said, thank you for taking the risk. Now never do it again."

"Gotcha," Ranma replied easily. "Next time it looks as if somthin' is gonna smoosh ya flat, I just let it happen." Both he and Kelly smirked at each other; he knew the principal knew he'd take such a risk again, and the principal knew he knew this.

"Now that that matter is taken care of," Kelly said, opeing the folder and looking down at the information on it, "I can move on to the original reason I wanted to meet with you." He looked back up at Ranma, steepling his hands in from of his face.

"I have heard, and have had confirmed," Kelly continued, "That my predecessor, former principal Darkholme, is your mother."

Ranma held back a wince; he never intended for that information to be revealed to the world. "Yeah..." Ranma acknowledged, wondering exactly where he was going with this.

Kelly nodded. "I'll get straight to the point, Mr. Saotome. I have noticed several things in your records from the last semester. You were personally excused from class on multiple occasions by your mother for the most insignificant of reasons, you were never required to show a hall pass," he frowned as he glanced down at the file again. "The hall monitors were instructed to obey any orders you gave them -"

Ranma winced; he knew he shouldn't have taken advantage of that, but how many chances did one have in life to see overly-responsible teenagers wear togas and conga through the cafeteria with mashed potatoes on their heads?

"- and there seems to be an incident where the chemistry lab almost burned down." Kelly finished, looking back up at Ranma. "Would you care to explain that last one, before I go on?"

"Uh... English is my third language, and how was I supposed to know 'inflammable' didn't mean it wouldn't catch fire?" He answered with a weak grin.

Sorting the papers back into their proper places in the file, Kelly nodded slowly. "That's... actually not a bad excuse, Mr. Saotome," He admitted. "But I think the point of this meeting has become clear, don't you agree?"

Ranma put a finger to his lips and thought on the question for a moment. "No more hall monitor toga-party conga lines?"

"In a manner of speaking," Kelly said with a slightly strained smile, wondering if the boy in front of him was truly dense or just doing it to annoy him. He'd bet his entire year's salary on the second; he seemed like the type to do that. "A more accurate summation of what this means, however, is that you will not be receiving any special treatment any longer, and you should not expect anything of the sort either."

His gaze turned hard as he looked at the boy across from him. "Have no illusions, Mr. Saotome - if you get in trouble from this point on, you will be punished. You should count yourself lucky I am not allowed to punish you for the things you have gotten away with already. Do you understand?"

"Not quite..." Ranma said after a moment. "I mean, I understand tha thing 'bout gettin' in trouble since Mom is no longer principal, but what I don't get is why gettin' special treatment fer bein' the principal's kid is such a bad thing. That's how it worked at my old school in Japan... so that's how I thought it was s'posed ta work..."

Kelly was momentarily taken aback by the statement, then shook his head to both clear his mind and give a negative response to the boy. "I admit that tends to happen sometimes, with administrators who don't know how to properly do their jobs," He said, closing the folder finally and putting back into his desk. "But in truth, it's a very big offense, both to the school itself and everyone in it."

"Ah, ok." Ranma said, still not really understanding, but deciding to fake it. "Sorry 'bout that. Won't let it happen again."

The new principal smiled. "Good, because it won't happen again. Not as long as I'm here. Now," he said, intending to bring the meeting to a close. "Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?"

Frowning a bit, Ranma pulled out his schedule and handed it to Kelly. "I was wonderin' if ya could tell me why I have three hours of Advanced Art classes every morning?"

Taking a look at the schedule, the older man looked it over and saw that Ranma was, indeed, scheduled for Advanced Drawing, Advanced Painting, and Advanced Sculpture. "You didn't sign up for these classes?"

"I didn't even know tha school offered 'em."

"That is odd..." Kelly said, giving the schedule a quizzical look. "These other classes... Phys Ed, Human Anatomy and Physiology, English IV, World History... these are all correct though?" Seeing Ranma nod, he handed the schedule back to the pigtailed boy. "Very strange... sometimes there are small glitches in the system, but I don't think I've ever seen one quite like this. Do you recall what you did sign up for?"

"Nope," Ranma replied, putting the paper back in his pocket; he didn't even remember signing up for the other classes, but those were ones he felt he could deal with.

"Hmmm..." Kelly pondered for a moment. "I'll look into it and see if there's anything that can be done. In the meantime, I'd suggest following that course list." He grinned, adding, "Who knows? You may find you enjoy them."

"I doubt it," Ranma muttered as he stood up. "Well, let me know if it can be fixed or somethin'."

"I will," Kelly promised. "Thank you for coming, and if you ever have any questions, problems, or just want to talk, my door is always metaphorically open to you or any other student." He gave Ranma a kind smile.

"Gotcha," Ranma replied absently, turning to head to the door. Not like that was gonna happen anytime soon.

* * *

Scott leaned against his red convertible, spinning his keys around his fingers as he waited for his friends to show up. The first day of school was over, and those who depended on him for a ride to the Institute were taking their sweet time in arriving. 

Turning his head to avoid the exhaust spat out by a passing yellow school bus - a 'Go Bayville!' banner on the side flapping slightly as the passing air hit it - Scott noticed two girls chatting as they walked passed hi car.

"Hey, Sandy," He asked with a hopeful look on his face as he addressed one of the girls, a pretty brunnette with her hair done in a pair of side ponytails. "Have you seen Jean anywhere?"

"Uh-uh," The brunnette replied, glancing over at her blonde companion, who also replied in the negative. Bringing up her arm to cover a giggle, - which Scott assumed was prompted by the dejected look on his face - Sandy and the blonde continued on their way.

Scott sighed as he turned back to face the parking lot, his gaze wandering to Duncan's car; chances are Jean would be getting a ride home from the jerk. What she saw in him, he couldn't begin to fathom - and he had spent endless hours trying to figure it out. He was even beginning to wonder if he wanted her attention; if she went for guys like Duncan, what did that say about her taste in general?

'Maybe Nabiki is right,' He thought to himself, 'maybe it is time I moved on...' Friday nights with just his friends were starting to get really monotonous; but what girl at this school - hell, in this town - could compare to Jean?

Nabiki came very close to fitting the bill, and she seemed to show some interest in him, but he couldn't tell if it was real affection or merely to annoy Jean; that kiss after Asteroid M sure didn't seem feigned. Ranma had warned him that she was an expert manipulator, and when she wanted to could easily muddle the thoughts of any red-blooded male in the vicinity with a mere look. Then there was the simple fact of her being allied with the Brotherhood, which was a major turn off to say the least.

But damn... that kiss.

Glancing around to see if anyone was at least on their way, he sighed irritably and checked his watch again.

"Lance, just forget it!"

Scott's head jerked upward at the sound of Kitty's annoyed statement, just in time to see her yank her arm out of Lance's grip. He narrowed his eyes at the Brotherhood field leader and adjusted his shades, stepping away from the car - just in case. He could see the entire Brotherhood, minus Nabiki, sitting in Lance's jeep not far from the two.

"Hey," Lance said, "I said I was sorry about the scoreboard thing." He crossed his arms, giving the girl a self-assure smirk. "I was only doing it to make you laugh. Don't tell me your still mad about it."

Kitty rolled her eyes and turned away from him, flipping a strand of long brown hair over her shoulder. "You can be such a jerk sometimes..." she stated, obviously intending them to be parting words as she began to walk away. She let out a small gasp when Lance grabbed her roughly - and by the shade-wearing teen's estimation, painfully - by the wrist, an action which was more than enough to spur Scott into motion.

"Alvers," He said firmly and calmly, the clenched fists at his sides the only outward signs of his anger. "Leave her alone."

Lance shot his rival a scathing glare, barely noticing as Kitty phased her wrist out of his grip. "Stay out of this, Summers," He warned, clenching his fists and raising them to chest-level. "This is between me," he glanced over at Kitty, his gaze softening a fraction, "and her."

"Yeah?" Scott growled, raising a hand to his shades as a corona of red concussive force began to emanate from the edges of the frames. "Well now, it's between you, and ME!"

"Bring it on, Summers," Lance glared at the other boy, shoving him hard in the opposite direction while simultaneously leaping back several fee tin the other. Spreading his arms wide open, he made himself into as big a target as possible; if Summers wanted to blast him and blow his cover, he'd be happy to let him. His hands made a taunting 'bring it on' gesture to further egg him on. "Take your best shot! Let's see those eyes blast me clear across the parking lot! Right here, right now!"

"Scott!" Kitty said, running towards her housemate. Shooting a glare over her shoulder, she continued in a softer voice, giving a small nod towards the groups of students that had stopped to watch several yards away. "Don't let him get to you. He knows we can't do that stuff out in the open."

"It'd be worth it," Scott growled, not taking his hands away from his shades.

Lance flashed him an cruel grin. "Than do it, Summers."

Scott stared at him for several moments, then dropped his hand to his side, letting his shades settle back to their normal position on his face. "Let's go, Kitty," He said, turning his back on The Brotherhood. His fists clenched tightly as he heard their mocking laughter, but he made no move to show how much it infuriated him.

Shooting one last glare at The Brotherhood, Kitty 'hmphed' and followed after him.

Leaning back against his jeep, Lance watched the two leave, feeling very little satisfaction. "You know, guys..." He said as an idea occurred to him, "Summers may like keeping things under wraps, but I've had it with hiding our po-"

A burst of pain flashed through his skull, interrupting both his thoughts and his speech. The words that followed directed his attention towards the originator the pain.

"I sincerely hope you were about to say, 'hiding our pocketbooks'," Nabiki coldly stated, a frosty gaze enveloping her four teammates. "Because if you were going to say what I know you were thinking..." She let the threat trail off, directing her full attention to Lance. "Walk with me, Alvers," She ordered, starting back in the direction she had come from. Begrudingly - and with no small amount of fear - Lance followed.

"Hey!" Todd called after them, irritation plain in his tone. "You best not take too long, yo! CSI is start-"

"We have TiVo, dammit!" Nabiki yelled back, focusing her glare on the boy. Todd flinched and darted behind Freddy, nervously poking his head out from behind his much larger comrade.

Smirking, Nabiki continued walking silently, Lance in step beside her, eyeing her nervously and wondering when she'd start the expected tongue-lashing.

**'Are you an idiot, Alvers?'**

Lanced visibly jerked at the voice in his head, having not felt the mental connection open. He should have expected the aforementioned tongue-lashing to occur telepathically, though; Nabiki wouldn't risk saying anything possibly incriminating out loud.

**'You know the very last thing we need right now is to call attention to ourselves,' **said Nabiki. **'Baiting Scott is one thing; you do that all the time, so no one really notices. Nearly bringing down the gym is another thing; it drew attention to something that doesn't happen often, but not in a way that can be traced to us. But,'** She paused, stopped walking and looked straight at him before continuing.**'But - and this is the important part, so pay attention - baiting Scott into blasting you in public and revealing his powers would attract attention and raise questions. Attention and questions we do not need.'**

Lance blinked, considering this. **'So?'** He finally replied; he could see her point, but he had yet to figure out why he should care. **'So mutants become public; it's gotta happen sooner or later, why not make it be on our terms?'**

**'Because they wouldn't be Mystique's terms.'**

Lance snorted. **'Mystique ditched us after Asteroid M. She ain't comin' back.'**

**'She already has.' **Nabiki retorted with a smirk, obviously enjoying the fact that she had information he didn't. **'Last night, when we got back. She's still around, just laying low. She has a plan to get us completely free of Magneto, but it's gonna require time. Time, and us going about things as normally as possible. Understand?'**

**'Then why didn't she talk to all of us?'** Lance asked, inwardly still shocked to learn Mystique hadn't abandoned them.

**'Because Pietro is still in contact with his father,'** the cyberpath answered. **'The dutiful son is still giving his dear old dad regular reports; our job is to make sure he doesn't know that we know, and, if possible, give him false information to feed back to his father.'**

Lance shot a look back to his jeep, eyeing Pietro. **'I think I understand,'** he said, **'I don't like having a double-agent on the team, though.'**

**'And you think I do?'** Nabiki snorted as the pair turned back towards the jeep. 'But there's nothing we can do right now except try to turn it to our advantage whenever possible.'

Lance felt the link close, the conversation obviously over; he was rather surprised he'd come out of it more or less as intact as when he went in.

"We will talk more about your stupidity later, Alvers." Nabiki said as she hopped into the passenger seat of the jeep. "Now get us back to the house so these fools don't start foaming at the mouth from lack of CSI."

"Aye-aye..." Lance muttered, rolling his eyes as he mentally turned the information he had just been given around in his brain. Now that he finally had something he could focus his anger on, he was able to grudgingly admit his idea to expose the world to mutants was a bad one.

Would have been damn fun, though.

* * *

"Please?" Jean implored, looking up at Ranma with wide, begging eyes. "The game is going to start soon, and I can't go out there like this! I need a null, please!" 

"Calm down, Red," Ranma said, his eyes darting around. The two were underneath the bleachers, Jean having dragged the pigtailed boy back here as soon as she had been able to. Above them students were arriving and taking seats while the cheerleaders and band kept them entertained and full of school spirit.

"I'm trying..." Jean said, clenching her eyes shut as she tried to force the thoughts of the other students out of her mind; someone up there had a very annoying song stuck in their head, and it was beginning to grate on the telepath's already frazzled nerves. With her eyelids closed, Jean failed to see the empty soda cups, hot dog wrappers and half-filled popcorn buckets that littered the ground around them begin to raise into the air and start circling them, slowly picking up speed.

Seeing the trouble the girl was having yet again - and making a mental note to force her, kick and screaming if need be, to let the Professor know she was having these troubles - Ranma briefly concentrated. A few seconds later, his right hand was glowing a soft blue. Pressing it against her forehead, the energy spread outwards from his hand, cascading down her face like an unfurled sheet of silk before sinking into her skin.

The flying objects fell to the ground and Jean let out a sound of almost orgasmic bliss as the voices and throbbing pain faded away, leaving her mind in blissful silence. "Oh, god, thank you Ranma..." She said, pulling the martial artist into her chest in a tight hug. Ranma let out a small 'eep' of surprise, which was lost against the redhead's breasts. A few seconds later, he was freed from her grip as she ran to join her team.

Ranma blinked in no small amount of confusion; was it just him, or were that girl's reaction to the null touch becoming more and more... pleasurable? Shaking his head - and putting a big red 'URGENT' stamp on the mental note he made earlier, - Ranma turned to get out from under the bleachers and rejoin his friends...

...and not two steps later was struck from above by a falling soda cup. And judging by the cold wet substance soaking her hair and now dripping down her back, it had been at least half-full.

"Sonuva... just freakin' great..." Ranma grumbled to herself, pulling the empty cup off her head and tossing it away. Apparently, she hadn't left the water-magnet aspect of the curse back in Nerima; it took almost five months, but it seemed to have finally made its way back to her.

Untying the Dragon's Whisker that bound her braid and retying it around her wrist, Ranma began to make an attempt to squeeze the Mountain Dew out of her scarlet locks; sticky hair, in either gender, was damn-near unbearable. Retrieving a comb from of her pants pocket, she dragged it through her hair multiple times before putting it away. Best she could do without a thorough rinse and conditioning.

"Jean, there you are!"

Ranma turned in the middle of re-braiding her hair to see a tall, broad-shoulders blonde guy wearing a Bayville lettermans jacket jogging towards her. Who was that guy? Ranma could have sworn she'd seen him around before.

"What are you doing under the seats?" He asked, stopping way too far inside her bubble of personal space than Ranma liked. The guy gestured towards the field with a thumb. "You gotta hurry, th-"

The guy blinked as he leaned in for a closer look, seeming to suddenly realize she wasn't the girl he was looking for. "Hey, you're not Jean..."

"Congratulations, yer eyes work," Ranma replied, rolling her eyes as she finished tying her pigtail. "Was it tha height difference, tha lack of a soccer uniform, or tha obvious Asian features that clued ya in?"

"Are you new here?" The guy asked, flashing her a smile that he probably thought made women swoon. "I'm certain I'd remember seeing a girl as pretty as you around here before. I'm Duncan, by the way." He held out his hand, which was promptly slapped away.

"I don't care," Ranma told him bluntly. Frowning, she snapped her fingers several times in front of his face, causing him to flinch. "Hey, hey HEY! Eyes up here, asshole!"

"So, what ar-"

"Look," Ranma said, pushing her way past him, "I'm gonna nip this in the bud right now: I ain't interested, I ain't never gonna be interested, and what's more, I'm a lesbian, engaged, and prone ta violent fits of rage directed towards idiotic blonde football players. Got it?"

Ranma growled when she saw Duncan wasn't paying any attention to what she was saying, and in fact seemed to be staring at her chest once again with a glazed look in his eyes.

"Tha hell with this..." she muttered, pushing the blonde idiot over to the side and stalking out from under the bleachers. Once outside, she gave the surrounding area a quick visual scan, then with some brief concentration shifted back into her birth form, the image inducer deactivating as it detected the change in mass. Half a second later, a confused Duncan raced out, looking around wildly.

"She went that way," Ranma helpfully supplied, pointing to the left. Duncan nodded and turned full speed in the indicated direction, slamming directly into a wall and knocking himself unconscious.

"Dumbass..." Ranma said to himself, slowly shaking his head as he made his way back to join the rest of his group.

* * *

"...and playing midfield for the Bayville Hawks, number two, TARYN FUJIYOKA!" 

The crowd cheered wildly as a pretty brunette Asian-American girl wearing a Bayville girls soccer uniform -red top with white sleeves and red shorts, both with yellow trim - ran out onto the field, waving to the crowd. She smiled up at the fans that packed the bleachers as she ran through the twin rows of cheerleaders, who were enthusiastically shaking their dark red pom-poms as they did their job of keeping the crowds happy and excited.

"Why are we here?" Risty asked, her voice mildly distorted by the heel of her hand pressing into her cheek, holding up her head as she leaned forward on the railing which seperated the stands from the field. Next to her was Rogue, the person whom the question was directed, leaning against the same railing with her back to the field.

"'cause Jean's tha star of tha soccer team," Rogue answered, "And tha Professor wanted alla us at tha Institute ta be here ta support her. Or somethin'."

"Yes, well, that explains why YOU are here," said Risty, "But that doesn't explain why you dragged me along with you."

"Yer duty as mah new best friend," she replied with a smirk, "Is to suffer along with me in times like these."

Risty groaned miserably, pulling a pair of earplugs out of her pockets and putting them in as the crowd got even louder. "I hope you know I plan to cash in the favor you now owe me at the worst possible time."

"And rounding out the team," The announcer continued, "Bayville's star forward... JEAN GREY!"

The crowd leapt to their feet, their already loud cheering erupting to new levels as the star player ran out onto the field, wearing the exact same uniform as the other players, only with a bright yellow 'nine' over the right breast. Her hair was tied back into a tight ponytail, obviously for the purpose of keeping it out of her face during the game.

Rogue twitched as Kurt yelled an enthusiastic "YEAH! GO JEAN!" right into her ear. Getting up, - and pulling Risty along with her - she looked for a different place to sit; someplace where people were less likely to inadvertantly burst her eardrums. Seeing Ranma next to the Professor in the section of the stands designated for wheelchairs, she made her way over to him.

Ranma gave Rogue a smile and half-hearted wave as she took the spot next to him, leaning against the wall. "Are we havin' fun yet?" He whispered, tickling her ear with his breath and causing her to shiver and. Both ignored Risty making mock-gagging noises at the public display of affection

"Tha game's gonna start soon," Rogue replied. "Ya nevah know, it might turn out interestin', right?"

"That depends," Ranma said after a moment's thought, "Is this Martial Arts Soccer, or regular soccer?"

"The second one." Rogue replied drily; she didn't believe a word about the sports he said he'd played in gym class back in Japan.

"Then it's gonna be boring."

Rogue gave him an elbow in the gut, then smirked and leaned in, whispering softly. Ranma blushed a deep red, and shook his head rapidly. "Nah," he whispered back, "It's a lot louder under tha bleachers, plus there too much trash down there. Hardly tha right place for... that."

"Phooey," Rogue said, resting her head on Ranma's shoulder.

Watching out of the corner of his eye, Xavier let out a sigh; those two didn't seem to realize he could hear them. Maybe it was time for that talk...

* * *

Down on the field, Jean could see television cameras from the local news station, getting ready to tape the game for later broadcast. Glancing into the stands, she thought she saw some people who could be college recruiters. She felt her heart rate begin to increase and took a few deep, calming breaths. 'No need to be nervous, girl,' She told herself. 'This is just another game... remember that, just another game.' 

Felling herself begin to calm down, she took her position on the field as Principal Kelly ran out onto the grass. The crowd was going wild, chanting "BAYVILLE! BAYVILLE!" over and over again as he rose the microphone to his lips.

"In appreciation of the team spirit that has brought us all the way to tonight's championship game," Kelly said, his voice booming from the speakers set up around the field. "We'd like to present our school mascot, THE BAYVILLE HAWK!"

He gestured towards the scoreboard, where a big white sheet was covering a large, oddly-shaped object attached to the top of it. At his gesture, the sheet was pulled back as two large spotlights were directed towards it, revealing a large golden statue in the shape of a fierce hawk, it's wings spread wide and high. The cheering reached a crescendo as flames suddenly burst from the wings of the statue. Fireworks accompanied the revealing, shooting from somewhere behind the hawk and bursting into intangible spheres of red and gold sparks.

'Just another game,' Jean mentally chanted again, drowning out all the noise and ceremony. 'Just another game.'

"Now," Kelly said, grinning widely, "Let's all have fun tonight, and LET THE GAME BEGIN!"

* * *

Up in the top row of the stands, Emma sat watching the game with a passing interest at best. She wasn't a big fan of sporting events, especially not girls high school soccer, but the game was interesting enough to keep her from being bored to tears. Next to her was Melinda, cheering wildly as her friend Jennifer managed to steal the ball from a girl on the other team. Her cousin had said she only wanted to come to the game to support her friend, but Emma could tell she had been swept up by the thrill of competition. Melinda had always been overly competitive, even if she wasn't always one of the competitors.

Pulling a slim paperback book out of her pocket, Emma began to read quietly, drowning out the noise as best she could; she'd had a lot of practice over the years, enduring the loud, vehement arguments between her father and older brother Christian.

Even though she had a nice distraction in the form of a well-written novella, Emma found her boredom slowly beginning to return. Placing her chin in her hand, and small frown crossed over her exquisite feature. "Something interesting had better happen soon," she muttered to no one in particular.

* * *

On top of a nearby school facility, the black-clad figure watched her target from the shadows. It would have to be now; she knew she wouldn't be able to take him down unless she got very lucky, but at the very least she should be able to put the first phase of her plan into action. 

The rest of Xavier's team was there, as were those sort-of traitors, The Brotherhood, that Magneto had told her not to trouble herself with; the possibility of their interference had been factored in already, so she didn't bother with anything than noting the positions of each and every one.

Her own abilities with ki weren't as extensive as those of her target, but she did know one 'manuever' that would get things started...

* * *

Back in the stands, Ranma was watching as that Taryn girl made a pass to Jean when he felt a familiar sensation on the back of his neck. Glancing around, he discretely cast out his ki senses, wondering idly if it was only rival - or worse, a fiancée - that had managed to catch up with him. After a moment, he frowned; there was someone out there, but it was no one he knew. 

His eyes narrowing, Ranma extended his senses again, spreading them out a little further. He thought he could sense something... there! On top of the locker rooms!

"I'll be right back..." He said slowly, not noticing the odd looks from Rogue, Risty and the Professor. Casually, he pushed away from the wall and headed towards the restrooms, ducking into the shadows at the last moment.

Nobody noticed Risty silently slipping away and ducking into the shadows herself.

* * *

With a moment's concentration, the black-clad woman inverted and shut off her telepathy. If Xavier tried to take her down psychically, he would be in for a nasty surprise; of course, there could be no doubt he had felt her do what she just did, so it wasn't likely he would take the risk.

* * *

Nabiki's head darted upwards as she felt something strange flash through her mind. Her teammates noticed nothing, too focused on the game - and the money they were making with the betting pools - to have seen her. 

An unpleasant feeling rose within her stomach. Muttering a quick "Be right back" which she was certain her teammates hadn't heard, she made her way through the crowd of students to where she had seen Xavier earlier.

Ignoring the look Rogue shot her, Nabiki went straight up to the older telepath. "You felt that, right?" She said directly.

"Yes," Xavier said, frowning.

"Felt what?" Rogue asked.

Nabiki ignored her. "What was it? It felt... wrong."

"It was another telepath, Ms. Tendo," Xavier answered quietly, forcing both Nabiki and Rogue to lean in close to hear him. "Shutting down their own telepathy, in order to make themselves temporarily immune to psychic attack."

"Why?"

"Because they are planning something," Xavier replied, furrowing his brow, "And they don't want either of us using our powers against them."

* * *

All her preperations made, the black-clad woman removed her orange shades and slipped them into a safe compartment in her jacket, revealing a pair of cold blue eyes. Removing her facemask as well revealed the face of a woman in her early twenties with ebony hair cut short in the back, a pair of long bangs reaching down to her chin from either side of her face. She was a very beautiful woman, with feature that looked as if they could have been sculpted from marble - both for the elegant beauty and for the lack of emotion they held. 

Turning her gaze back towards the people below, she could see Network and Xavier speaking; they must have felt what she'd done. Idly, she wondered why there was no reaction from Grey. No matter; the traitor's spawn would be arriving any minute now

"What are we lookin' at?"

The black-clad woman spun towards the voice, lashing out insticntively with a snap-kick. Flipping backwards, she landed on her feet and shot three small throwing knives in the direction of the voice. Getting a clear look at him now, she saw the target himself, holding a knife in each hand, the third one clenched between his teeth.

Ranma spat out the knife in his mouth and dropped the other two, slipping his hands into his pockets as he looked his attacker over. "So... wanna tell me what that was about, or are ya just gonna attack again?"

Ranma leaned his head to the right, the wind of passage the fourth thrown blade made howling pat his ear. Jumping above a kick, the pigtailed boy landed on his attackers outstretched leg. "This don't have nothin' ta do with pops, does it? Ya ain't a new fiancée?"

Again, he got no answer other than an attempted headbutt. Springing off the woman's ankle, he placed a hand on the back of her head, pushing her towards the ground and flipping through the air, landing several feet behind her. The woman rolled with the fall, springing back to her feet and rushing him again, a pair of throwing blades appearing in her hands. Dodging the numerous lightning-quick slashes the woman dealt out, Ranma began to idly wonder if he should give up the questioning and begin to actually fight back.

"Where is Mystique?" The woman asked in a cold monotone, her knives flashing in her unrelenting attempt to skewer him.

Ranma immediately froze, and in two quick motions removed the knives from the woman's hands and captured her wrists in a painful hold. "What do you want with her?" He demanded.

"That is none of your concern," the woman replied, using the firm grip he had on her wrists to pull him in close to her, delivering a savage knee to his chest. Ranma's hold loosened enough for his black-clad opponent to escape it and renew her assault, throwing dozens of punches which hit nothing but air. "Just tell me where to find Mystique, and I won't have hurt you or your little friends down there, too much."

Leaning backward to avoid a spin kick, Ranma continued the dodge in single fluid motion, catching the woman in the jaw with his own foot as he flipped. Landing on his feet, he sank to the ground, ducking under two jabs and a right cross as he swept his right leg out; as expected, she jumped in the air to dodge it. Spinning on his hand, his leg came around in a full revolution, catching the woman in the side and knocking her back to the ground.

Rolling with the blow - and mentally thanking her body armour for absorbing most of the damage, - the woman landed in a crouch, immediately springing forward again, dodging her opponents vertical kick and blocking the jabs that followed.

"Where is Mystique?" She demanded again, delivering a strong uppercut that nicked Ranma in the jaw, but left her open for his counter-attack, a hook kick that caught her in the side.

"I wouldn't tell ya even if I knew," Ranma growled; this woman had made it personal now. Weaving around several kicks and ducking under a spear hand aimed for his throat, Ranma came back up with an uppercut.

Leaning back to dodge the blow and grabbing him by the wrist, the woman used Ranma's own momentum against him, focusing all of her strength into a powerful throw towards the edge of the building.

Flying through the air, Ranma cursed himself for getting caught by that old move. His eyes widened slightly when he saw the woman leap off the edge of the building directly towards him; twisting in the air, he managed to go over her shoulder-strike, his right foot pushing off the back of her head, sending them in opposite directions. Twisting around, he grimaced as he realized where she would end up landing.

* * *

"Who's plannin' what?" Rogue asked when Xavier didn't continue. 

"I am not certain," the Professor replied, noticing his other students seemed to have picked up on the conversation. "I think I recognized their psychic signature, but I'm hoping I'm wrong. As for what they have planned, I can only speculate that it will not be to our benefit."

"Especially vith all these people around," Kurt noted.

"Right," Scott said, picking up the bag that contained his uniform and turning to the rest of the team. "Kitty, Evan, if anything starts, take out the news cameras." He turned to Nabiki, who had been joined by the rest of the Brotherhood.

"We're with you, cutie," Nabiki said, anticipating his question. "Like I told Lanc after your little squabble earlier, there's no profit or advantage in exposure at this point in time." She looked over at her team, who were nodding in agreement, although she could tell they weren't thrilled about working with the opposition again.

"Glad to hear it," Scott replied, giving her a smile. He was rewarded with a faint blush that vanished so quickly he wasn't sure if it had ever been there.

Closing her eyes, Nabiki ignored the slightly flustered feeling in her stomach; she had to forcibly remind herself that she only flirted with him to annoy the redhead. Focusing on the task at hand, she banished the thought from her mind and connected. A moment later, she opened her eyes. "All cell phone service in the area has been shut down."

"Oh, man," Evan said, pointing into the air over the field, "It's hit the fan alright!"

The entire group turned just in time to see a black-clad woman crash down into the middle of the game, digging a long trench in the field, kicking up a lot of dust in her wake as she skidded to a stop. Jumping to her feet, she leapt into the air towards another flying figure.

The assembled mutants gave each other grim looks, and, as one, went to find some cover.

* * *

Jean had just scored another goal when her martial arts training kicked in and she dove to the side, just missing being struck by a black-clad woman crash-landing directly where she had been standing. 

"What the hell?" She heard one of the girls on the other team cry out. Jean agreed with the statement wholeheartedly, stepping back as the mysterious woman got back on her feet and jumping into the air without hesitation. Following her path, Jean got her second surprise of the night when Ranma collided with the black-clad figure, his foot planted into her stomach.

The woman seemingly shrugged off the blow, grabbing the pigtailed boy's leg and, twisting in midair, threw him into the ground.

Jean was beginning to wish she hadn't made Ranma nullify her powers earlier; as it was, all she could do was stand there and watch as her friend dodged the axe kick the woman tried to land on him and responded with a flurry of rapid-fire punches so fast she didn't even attempt to follow.

Ranma was shocked when the woman blocked the majority of his blows, easily accepting the damage from the ones that got through. Seeing his surprise, the woman shot him a cold smirk, the first facial expression she had since the fight began.

"I may not be able to match your Amaguriken, Saotome," she said, her voice still an emotionless void despite the situation, "but I've seen it enough times to know the pattern you prefer."

"Good for you," Ranma replied, avoiding a reverse side kick. "How much time did ya waste researchin' me?"

The woman's full lips peeled back from her teeth in a cold grin. "One hour. That's all I needed to memorize everything you can do and everything about you." Ducking under a spinning roundhouse kick that flowed seamlessly into spinning hook kick, she continued. "I know every move you make before you make it; I know your style inside and out, and every little trick you have up your sleeve."

"My mind faster and more powerful than any computer," She continued, dodging more of his attack and dealing out a few of her own as she began the second part of the first phase of her plan. "Everything I see, I remember. Everything I remember can be recalled instantly with perfect clarity. Every move you could possibly make is considered and prepared for before you even make it."

Seeing an opportunity, the woman ducked another high kick; rolled under him while he was still airborne, she came to her feet behind him. Before he had a chance to turn around, her hand lashed out and grabbed tightly onto his pigtail. Pulling him to the ground by his hair, she wrapped her other arm around his neck in a painful choke hold. "That," she said softly, "is my 'special gift'."

"Now," she asked directly into his ear, "are you going to tell me what I want to know?"

Ranm grinned savagely and flared his ki as he utilised a technique he hadn't had the opportunity to employ for quite some time. He was rewarded with a cry of surprise escaping the woman's lips as she released his pigtail, blood beginning to stain the glove. "Maybe if ya had researched a little longer, ya mighta come across that technique." He eyes became thin slits as he added "And if ya had done as much research as ya say ya did, you would know that you NEVER touch the hair."

His foe's eyes narrowed as she filed away the information; she didn't know how he'd done it, but all of a sudden his hair had felt like thousands of razor-sharp blades, slicing deeply into the palm of her hand. "I should have expected as much," She stated, ignoring the pain and closing in with him again. "Your powers provide you with nearly unsurpassed adaptability; it's no wonder you have progressed so much in such a short amount of time."

"What the hell are ya talkin' about?" Ranma asked, flowing like water between her attacks. So this woman was a mutant as well; he should have realized. "Nullification has nothing to do with my skill." He punctuated his statement with a plam strike to her sternum.

"You are a fool," The woman answered. "He told you during your time on Asteroid M. The nullification is merely a side-effect of your powers, another adaptation if you will."

Flipping backward to put some space between them, she pulled out another pair of throwing knives and launched them at the boy. "It's fascinating, really," she said, seemingly unconcerned as he easily dodged the blades. "Your mutant gene was partially active for over a decade before it fully awakened. There is only one thing that could do that..." she ducked under a roundhouse kick.

"And what might that be?" Ranma asked, wondering what this woman was getting at; did she think talking constantly was going to distract him from the fight?

"A very traumatic, painful, and possibly deadly event," she replied, weaving around him and slamming calf kick into his back. "One, perhaps, that involved fish sausages, a large pit full of starving cats, and a poor fool who couldn't be bothered to read past the first page of a manual..."

Ranma's eyes widened. "The Neko-ken..." he breathed, flipping behind her and slamming both feet into her back, pushing her face-first into the ground.

* * *

"Holy shit! Frank, please tell me you're getting all of this! Are the distance mikes picking up what they're saying to each other?! Did you see that boy start glowing blue when the chick grabbed his hair?! Did you?!" 

The cameraman, Frank, struggled to keep up with the fast-paced combat that had suddenly disrupted the high-school soccer game. "I'm gettin' it Roy, I'm gettin' it all! Sound and audio!"

"Excellent!" Roy grinned, showing off his perfect teeth. "Hot damn, I smell a Pulitzer in my future!"

"Sorry to crush your dreams, buddy," A voice said off to the side. Roy looked over, and his ecstatic expression fell in dismay as he saw several... spikes, for lack of a better word, impale their satellites, reducing them to so much scrap metal. The van was struck similar, reducing the delicate equipment inside to the same sorry state. The bleach-blond African-American boy in the strange outfit seemed quite pleased with the damage he had wrought.

Roy felt like crying; at least they still had the videotape...

Phasing a hand through the television camera, Shadowcat both rendered them inoperable and removed the video cassette the fight was being recorded on. Pulling the tape out of the casing, she dropped them to the ground and stomped them to pieces. "And that takes care of that," she said with a smile, giving the signal to Cyclops, indicating that they had accomplished their goal.

Tears streaked down Roy's face as he contemplated hanging himself with his microphone cord. He couldn't prove this had ever happened without that tape, and there was no way in hell he would ever get a chance to see a story like this every again.

* * *

"Looks like your friends are going to try to interrupt us," the woman said as a red beam of concussive force and the opening of a wide fissure through the middle of the field momentarily split the two apart. Sparing a glance over at Cyclops and Avalanche, she pulled a thin rod from her jacket and casually tapped the end. "I hate interruptions." 

Three deafening explosions sounded instantly, and the previously unveiled golden hawk atop the scoreboard exploded. Putting the rod away, she barely managed to dodge around her opponent's scissor kick before being nicked in the jaw by a ridge hand.

* * *

"Oh mah god," Rogue exclaimed as the school mascot exploded, sending burning arcs of the fuel that fed the flames on its wings in every direction. The remains of the hawk itself were sent skyward, crashing into the gymnasium. Within moments the building was aflame. 

The students, who had been watching the fight with the fascination one would give a trainwreck, screamed in terror as the bleachers caught fire around them.

"I've called in Storm," Xavier announced, "she should be here soon."

"That won't help them," Cyclops said, indicating the students trapped by the flames. "We gotta get them out of there and stop as much of the fire as we can!"

Network nodded, looking over at Avalanche and Quicksilver, who nodded back in response and ran in the direction of the fiery gym.

Placing his hands on the ground, Avalanche's eyes rolled upwards as he forced the ground to shake in a specific manner. Moments later, several small eruptions occurred several yards away, sending massive amounts of earth into the burning building to snuff out the flames. Avalanche grimaced as he saw how small of an effect he was making.

At the same time, Quicksilver poured on the speed as he raced around the fires, creating a vortex that soon sucked the oxygen away from the flames that had begun to spread further in an attempt to keep them from reaching the other buildings. Slowly, the smaller fires shrank to nothing, and the silver speedster moved on to the next one.

* * *

"Ms. Grey! Ms. Grey, you have to get away from them!" 

Jean barely noticed the voice urging her towards safety; she found it near-impossible to turn her gaze away from the battle before her and the words the woman spoke.

"Ms. Grey!" She felt a hand on her shoulder, roughly tearing her away from the scene. Brought out of the spell of the fight, she turned her head to see Principal Kelly, a look of pure terror on his face.

"Prinicpal Kelly!"

"Ms. Grey, you have to retreat to safety!" Kelly declared, his horrified gaze stuck on the two combatants. What the hell were they? No human could move like they did! And Summers and his friends were just like them, with the spikes and the eye beams and all the other inhuman abilities! This was not what he had meant by 'special talent'!

Kelly's jerked as he suddenly made a connection between the monsters he'd seen and the red-haired girl he was trying to pull off the field. They were all from the Xavier Institute... "You..." he said hoarsely, pulling his hand away from girl as if she was contagious.

"What? What abou-"

"Y-You're just like them!" He announced, pointing an accusatory finger at her. He was trembling now, but she couldn't tell if it wasfear or rage that brought it about. "Just like a-all those other... t-t-things from the Xavier Institute!"

"You don't understand," Jean said, grabbing his arm.

"Don't touch me, monster!" He cried out, running towards the rest of the student body.

As Jean watched him flee, she wondered how this could possibly get any worse. She knew better than to vocalize that question, though.

* * *

"Don't worry, I'll get you out of here!" 

Emma's eyes were blinded by smoke, so she was unable to see her savior clearly. She felt a pair of strong arms lift her from her seat, followed by an odd sensation of being airborne. The sensation lasted for only a moment, and the next thing she knew, she was lying on ground. From the less intense feeling of heat, she was able to determine she was now much safer from the danger zone.

Forcing her watery eyes open, she tried to get a glimpse of whoever had pulled her from the flames. All she was able to make out, however, before her hero fled, was an odd ruby-red eye covering.

"This was not what I meant," she managed to cough out, "when I wished for something interesting to happen."

"Em!"

Her head shot up, and seconds later she felt a pair of familiar arms wrapping around her tightly. "Mel!"

"Oh my god, Em, I was in the bathroom and I heard the explosion and I came out and there was fire and people in weird costumes doing crazy things and I was afraid but now your safe and..." she trailed off. "What's Ranma doing fighting some chick in the middle of a soccer game?"

"I have no idea..." Emma replied shakily, still holding tightly onto her beloved cousin. Her mind was not on Ranma, though, or anything else around them. Oddly, all she could think about was a bright ruby-red colour...

* * *

Back on the field, Ranma was still engaged in his battle with the strange woman. 

"What the hell?!" Ranma exclaimed, sparing a glance towards the conflagration that had erupted. "Why the hell did ya do that, ya crazy bitch! Those are innocent bystaders over there!"

"There's no such thing as an innocent bystander," she replied coldly, taking advantage of his momentary distracted state to get in a solid right hook to his jaw. "Yes, the Neko-ken. The trauma and near-death experience of that 'training excercise' forced your x-gene into partial activation."

Ranma couldn't believe this chick; she could have killed those people, and here she was carrying on a conversation as if nothing was going on!

She dodged an attempted hammer-fist. "That's when it started. Your body became stronger, faster, tougher at a greater speed. Your body adapted to every punishment your father threw at you." She nailed him in the side with an elbow strike and grunted when he responded with a pair of knife hands to the back. Ignoring the pain was getting harder, and she knew she was going to lose the fight, but she had to finish.

"Do you understand yet?" She asked tauntingly as she blocked a pair of kicks. "I can see it, even as we fight; your body adapting, even as far down as the genetic level. Reflexes heightening, muscles building, everything in your body altering itself in near-insignificant ways to make you stronger." It was truly an amazing sight to behold, not that she would ever admit to being impressed with him.

A spear hand to his neck was deflected. The attack was slugglish in her eyes; she was running short on energy.

"I don't know what yer talkin' about!" Ranma snarled. What the hell was this chick getting at?

"It builds up over a decade," the woman said, barely dodging a half-dozen rapid-fire kicks. "The small alterations your powers make. I can only imagine it's become stronger since your x-gene became fully active. Do you understand now?" She managed to tag him with solid kick to the jaw, sending him backwards. "Your body is CONSTANTLY adapting to your enviroment. You are the living representation of 'survival of the fittest'.

"Every bodily function, every muscle, ligament, bone, every single cell in your body is constantly going through minute adaptations and changes to ensure you are always capable of surviving your enviroment and the threats within it." She smiled inwardly as she saw her words reaching him; she didn't know if he believed her or not, but she was putting him off-balance, making him doubt the validity of his own skill, and that was what mattered. She was definitely not going to win the fight, but she had never expected that to happen. She had a different victory in mind.

The pigtailed boy's eyes narrowed; what was she implying? Was she accusing him of - no, that was impossible!

"The nullification effect and the telepathic immunity are the most obvious results to this," she continued, focusing her energy into dodging his attacks. He was getting angry now. "Too many different mutant powers in the world to adapt to, so over the years it created an all-purpose defense. The Neko-ken is too strong a weakness, too easily exploitable if someone was able to get into your mind and let it out..."

She decided to drop the bomb.

"That martial arts skill you put so much pride in," the woman was cut off by a agonizing kick to the jaw. Spitting out some blood, she jumped away, not letting it bother her. "The source of your confidence, your ego... none of it is truly yours. You didn't earn it."

The woman was bowled back by a savage punch to the jaw. Landing on the ground, she looked up to see Ranma before her, glowing and angry red.

"Take it back." He demanded, his eyes burning with rage. How dare she! He had suffered to get to the level he was at; his blood and sweat had been shed across the continents for over a decade. His father had driven him relentlessly to become the best, and now this... this BITCH had the gall to claim he hadn't earned it.

"You know it's true," she replied, ignoring a trickle of blood running down her chin. She had to get out of here soon; this phase of the plan was done.

"Take it back!" He demanded again, grabbing her by the collar and looking intently into her eyes. "I earned my skill! My powers have nothin' ta do with it! TAKE IT BACK, DAMMIT!" He pulled back a fist, glowing with red hot ki.

She met his stare and said nothing. Her vision was beginning to blur.

Ranma's fist was shaking with rage now, and he could feel blood tricking from where his nails had dug into the skin. It wasn't true, dammit! It had to be a lie! She had to be lying! She was trying to throw him off-balance or something, make him doubt himself. But even as the denials echoed through his thoughts, his mind drifted back to Asteroid M. Why hadn't Manchito's machine done what it was supposed to? He'd assumed at the time it was because of the nullification, but incident began connecting in his mind. Why would the machine have 'evolved' him... if his body was already in a constant state of evolution? How could it have made him 'perfect', if his x-gene already had him on an endless path of self-perfection? His immunity to psychic assault, the nullification, suddenly gaining control of his curse...

Raindrops softly impacting on her skin broke Ranma out of her thoughts. Looking up, she could see Storm hovering overhead, lightning flashing cracking through the sky around her, the Nubian woman's eyes a cloudly white as she manipulated the local weather to put out the fires the woman had started.

"I don't believe you," she said softly, her voice cracking slightly. She wasn't sure if she believed her own words, but she was not going to give this woman the satisfaction of knowing she'd succeeded in making her doubt herself.

"What you believe is irrelevant," the black-clad woman said, her voice the same emotionless monotone it had been throughout the entire fight. "And don't worry... I'll be back. And I will get what I want."

"As if yer goin' anyw-" Ranma was cut off as the woman headbutted her directly in the face, stunning her enough to cause her to lose her grip. Landing in a crouch, the woman wasted no time and fled the scene, escaping into the shadows of the night.

Ranma barely noticed as Rogue ran out onto the field, nor when Jean knealt by her side, tearing a sleeve off her soccer uniform to try and stem the flow of blood from her broken nose.

* * *

Xavier had wheeled himself out onto the field when the rain started, anxious about the state of his injured student, both in mind and body. He'd managed to overhear most of what Sage had told him, and could sense the truth in her words; it was the most he'd been able to do without triggering the psychic trap she had set in her own mind. 

The students were standing around the field in small groups, warily eying the X-Men and the Brotherhood both. They had no doubt seen what had happened, and were obviously scared; as much has he hated to, he knew what he had to be done. He hoped the television crews hadn't managed to broadcast anything of the fight; that would have made the situation truly irreparable. Even linked to Cerebro, he wouldn't have the power to erase what had happened from the minds of all the people across the city who could have seen it.

"Good work, Storm," He told the weather witch as she landed gracefully next to him.

"Yes," Storm replied, her expression as downcast as the weather she had created. "But no downpour can make people forget what they have seen here today." She gestured to the surrounding people. "The secret is out."

"Perhaps not," Xavier countered, "If I can alter their memories of what happened."

"No!" Storm exclaimed immediately. "There are just too many! Even your mind could never withstand the strain!"

"I know," He answered with a nod, turning his gaze to Network. "But with the aid of Ms. Tendo, if she is willing, the two of us might be able to handle it."

Looking around her, Network nodded. Mystique had given her explicit orders to keep things under wraps, and not even a full day had passed before she'd failed; anything she could do to reverse the situation, she would. Failure was bad for business. "What do I have to do?"

"Just leave your mind open, and allow me to take control of your 'network'," Xavier said, closing his eyes and raising his fingers to his temples, "I will merely add the power to my own. And do not worry - I will not pry."

Nervously, Network did as asked. Seconds later, she felt Xavier's mind enter hers briefly, and then it was gone. She could still sense her connection to her teammates, but it felt farther away, beyond her reach.

Focusing his mind, Xavier reached out to the student body one by one, carefully filtering through and removing all traces of what had happened tonight, replacing them with memories of a misfired firework on the mascot. As far as they would remember, the fire had been a complete accident, and none of his students had been involved. Jumping from one mind to the next, he could feel the replaced memories taking hold, the truth of the night fading into the realm of nonexistance.

One student was a bit of a problem, though... her mental defenses were formidable; even if she didn't seem to know she had them. Doing as best he could, he moved on, feeling his mind begin to strain, even with the added power from Network. He didn't get rid of everything, but he got rid of enough to make her severaly doubt what did remain. He hoped.

He was about to release the link with Network when he sensed one last presence behind him. Turning his head, he saw Principal Kelly duck behind the back of the bleachers.

Reaching out with his mind, he used the last of his mental energy to connect with the school principal, erasing as much as he could. Pain lashed through his mind suddenly, and he severed the link with Network to save her from the damage.

The X-Men jumped to aid their mentor as he let out a cry of pain, his head slumping forward. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, and he struggled to look up. Darkness came over him, and the last thing Xavier heard was Ororo calling out his name in fear.

* * *

On the top of the building where the battle had begun, a four-legged shadow leaped up to the small wall encircling the rooftop. Wrapping it's tail around it's paws, the shadow's form shifted into that of a young woman with dyed purple hair. Shifting her weight slightly, she perched on the edge of the wall, watching the people below slowly disperse. 

Risty had felt the rise in ki from this area at the exact same moment as Ranma, and unlike the boy, recognized it instantly. Following him up here, she hclung to the deeper shadows, watching the fight from the very beginning; she'd known the fight was going to start the moment Ranma had snuck up on the woman. Sage hated surprises with a passion, and did not react well to them; it was one of the many after-effects of her life before Magneto had 'saved' her.

Sage would be back. Risty had no doubt about that. She knew what the woman's tactics would be; she would keep attacking Ranma, intending to draw her out of hiding with threats to his safety and very life. Risty wanted nothing more than to help him, to protect him from the woman's analytical brutality, but she stood no chance against the living computer that was Sage.

She needed the Umi-sen-ken. She needed Ranma to open the scroll, somehow, to protect them both.

Ducking back into the shadows, the young woman's body shrunk, her arms flattening out, skin shifting into dark brown feathers. Seconds later, the screech echoed throughout the night, and the rooftop was left vacant.

* * *

Xavier awoke suddenly, raising a hand to his pounding head. 

"Easy Charles," The kind voice of Doctor Tofu said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Not too quickly now. You put you mind through quite a strain."

After a few moments, Xaviers vision began to clear, allowing him to see where exactly he was. The infirmary, obviously. Arrayed around his bed were Scott, Ororo, Logan and Tofu.

"It worked, Charles!" Ororo exclaimed, "Witnesses believe the hawks exploding fireworks caused all the damage."

"And the broadcast?" Xavier asked, his voice still showing the strain the massive memory alteration had placed on his mind.

"Not a single moment of airtime," Scott replied.

"Yeah," Logan interjected, "Not only did all the equipment get damaged 'in the fire', but the station itself experienced some 'magnetic interference' seconds before the whole thing started." His tone showed his obvious disbelief in regards to the 'official story'.

"Then there is no doubt," Xavier sighed, "He is still alive."

"Magneto?" Logan asked, then answered his own question. "I wouldn't doubt it."

"Anyway," Scott said, trying to look on the bright side, "it looks like we're back under wraps where we should be."

"Yes," Ororo agreed, her tone less relieved than Scott's. "From the reactions, it seems the world still isn't ready to learn about us."

"I'm afraid not," Xavier agreed sadly, "My only concern is Principal Kelly...I was inside his mind when I lost consciousness, and I'm not certain that I finished the job."

"Professor," Scott began, "Who was that woman Ranma was fighting?"

"More proof that Magneto is alive," Xavier answered. "Her name is Sage, a telepath and a loyal disciple of the man. She mainly keeps to the shadows, following Magneto's instructions without question. I know not why she is as devoted to the man as she is; most everything about the woman, including the full extent of her powers, is unknown to me."

"How is Ranma?" Xavier asked, obviously changing the subject to one more pressing as he placed his head back on the pillow. "Sage left him in quite a state."

"He has a broken nose, and a few bruises," Tofu replied. "With his rate of healing, he should be fine in a few days." Sighing Tofu answered the question Xavier had really asked. "Mentally and emotionally... I couldn't begin to tell you. He's been on the roof since we brought him home, and won't talk to anyone."

"Jean told us what that woman said to him," Scott added, "I'm not sure I understand why it seemed to hit him so hard; if anything, wouldn't he be glad to know the full extent of his mutation?"

"If it were anything but what it is," Tofu answered, "I would imagine so. But Ranma is convinced it means his skill comes from his powers, not from talent.

"You have to understand," Tofu continued, seeing the questioning look on Scott's face. "Ranma's entire life has been spent learning the Art; he's been through hell and back, gone through some of the most dangerous training one can undertake in order to reach the level he has. It's more than his greatest accomplishment in life, it IS his life." He sighed, adjusting his glasses. "To find out he may have obtained the skills he has through a mere fluke of genetics, that everything he went through under his father's tutelage was for nothing..." He trailed off, seeing comprehension dawn on Scott's face.

"Which is bull," Logan snorted, crossing his arms. "I may not be some kinda geneticist or whatever like you, Chuck, but his powers got nothin' to do with his actual skill. It may have made him stronger n' tougher an all that, but his mastery of the Art was obtained legitimately."

"Now someone only has to convince him of that," Ororo said.

* * *

Bruised, battered and bloody, Sage struggled her way into the small studio apartment she had secured as a makeshift base of operations while in Bayville. Her legs had threated to give out before she had made it even halfway there, but she'd ordered her body to accept the pain as a sign of success and pushed on. 

Entering the combined kitchen-living room-bedroom, she immediately noticed she was not alone. She'd been expecting someone to contact her, but not this soon and not in person. The room's only illumination came from a window several feet away, but she could see the shadowy form of a leanly-built man sitting back in the shabby couch that had come with the apartment, his feet propped up on the small table across from it and one arm behind his head, lounging as if the apartment had been his. A long bo staff was propped up against the wall, the light of the streetlamps outside glinting of it's metal plating.

"You did well," a smooth, lightly-accented voice broke through the silence. "The big man is pleased with the progress you've made." The very slight amount of stress placed on the last syllable of each word would have been plenty to clue Sage in on the man's identity if she hadn't already known.

"I failed to accomplish the primary objective," Sage replied, standing up straight; while this man was not her superior, at the moment he represented one, and was thus deserving of proper respect.

"Dat don't matter, _cher_," The man said, "You went an' got the ball rollin', so to speak, and in more ways than one. You've moved several plans forward, even if you don't know the details of every which one of them. You are to be commended, in fact."

"I require neither praise nor reward for doing my duty," Sage stated. "Is there anything else?" She wanted him to leave; she hadn't slept in three days, and it was beginning to get to her.

"_Non_," the man said with a chuckle, lifting his legs off the table. Instead of standing, though, he shifted on the couch, ending up in a supine position with his head against one armrest and his legs hanging over the other one.

"I hope you are not doing what I think you are," Sage warned.

"'Fraid so," he replied, unconcerned with the unspoken threat. "I'm crashin' fo' the night, Tessa. I'll be gone 'fore mornin'."

Any other time, the man would have found himself out the window by now; Sage hoped the man realized how lucky he was that she was too tired to bother it tonight. "Snore and you die," was all she said, spinning on her heel and heading into the apartment's small bedroom.

* * *

Ranma's nose was sore. 

He didn't really care that it was broken; most of the pain had vanished after he'd forced it back into place - a trick that didn't hurt much, not after all the times he'd done it in the past.

Lying on the roof of the mansion, Ranma's mind was on anything but his broken nose. He was doing his best to keep his mind off of anything, desiring nothing but silence, solitude, and his current view of the stars. Bayville had a pretty clear sky, he absently noted. The pollution levels were pretty low and the few clouds in the sky were small and unobtrusive, giving him a view of one of the only constants his life on the road had held.

He still had the stars, but felt he was losing his grip on the other two permanent fixtures from his life; his father was back in Nerima, doing who knows what - probably drinking or playing shogi with Mr. Tendo or something equally useless. And the Art... he didn't want to think about the Art right now, but he couldn't help it. Martial arts had been the main constant, the driving force; there had been nights when the stars could not be seen, and periods of time when his pop had left to do his own thing, leaving Ranma to fend for himself for several days, but the Art had always been with him. It was the main focus of his life; mastering a new technique, training for the next fight, becoming the best. His skill was his pride and his life.

And now there was a strong possibility it was all a lie. A fluke. A quirk of genetics.

He'd never cared about being a mutant before; his life had been plenty strange before his x-gene became active, - well, fully active - so it hadn't felt like a big deal. Nullification hadn't had anything to do with his martial arts, and he was perfectly happy with that. Ryouga may have been willing to use his powers in challenge match, but Ranma had never had to worry about it with his own. Nullification couldn't be used as an attack - with the exception of his fight with the lost boy on the mountain top, but that had been something completely unexpected. The only real benefit Ranma had been able to glean from the nullification effect was that he could touch a previously untouchable girl he had since begun to feel very strongly for.

But this newly-revealed ability...

He'd always looked down upon martial artists who cheated their way to power, using short-cuts. Like Akane and Shampoo with the Super Soba noodles, Ryouga with that stupid mark on his stomach (although the lost boy had felt the same way about it, if only for how dumb it looked) and Pantyhose Tarou with his massive cursed form were all perfect examples. But now he had his own shortcut, which he couldn't control, made him stronger without any actual effort involved, and which he had known nothing about.

Did this ignorance make him a cheater?

A pair of soft footsteps to the left of him informed him of a visitor; he didn't bother to look up to see who it was, keeping his gaze on the twinkling lights in the night sky. He knew it was Rogue without looking, regardless. Even though he had increasingly strong feelings for the girl, he wasn't sure he wanted any company right now.

The Mississippi born-and-bred girl said nothing as she approached the boy lying alone on the rooftop; she could find no words appropriate for the situation. Jean had told her what that strange woman had said to him during the fight, as well as how he had reacted to it. She herself didn't know what to think, but could tell that wasn't quite the problem he was having.

Silently, Rogue got down on the rooftop next to him, placing her head on his chest and one arm vertically across his stomach, her had resting inches from his chin; she wouldn't have faulted him if he pushed her away right now, but he didn't. He remained completely motionless, staring up into the night sky, the slow rising and falling of his chest the only indication he was still among the living.

Minutes passed quickly, and the slow rhythmic motion of his breathing combined with the overwhelming tranquility of the night (especially compared to the earlier events they had taken part in) soon had Rogue's eyelids drooping. Fluttering them rapidly as she tried to keep them open, Rogue found her forces overtaken, the battle quickly lost.

Ranma allowed his hand to move downwards around the now-sleeping girl's back, his hand slipping into the one she had at her waist. His eyes remained on the same stars, however, and his mind on the same questions.

The Art had for so long been the be-all and end-all of his life, the one thing he could count on. His life had been spent earning his skill through blood and sweat, tears and isolation, pain and sacrifice.

If his skill wasn't earned... what did that say about his life?

* * *

End Chapter Thirteen

* * *

Authors Notes: Be prepared, these notes are long. 

Despite my efforts to cut it down, this chapter still ended up being almost 24,000 words long... damn.

This chapter would have been out sooner, but anyone who's seen my profile will know the reason why it wasn't. Add to those reasons the fact that I got caught up re-reading pretty much every story Innortal has written yet again, and I think the delay will make sense. Or something.

Did you catch it? Ranma's actual powers were revealed. If you were expecting his powers to be more flashy or awe-inspiring, or powerful... well, too bad. Some of you are probably even reacting with a "What the fuck? That's all? THAT is what we've been waiting to find out?" Well, yes. Yes it is.

For a bit more concise explanation, I've been referring to his power as 'adaptive evolution' in my notes. Basically, his body is in a constant state of adaptation, ensuring that he is always capable of surviving his environment. Another aspect, not mentioned in chapter, is when Ranma is placed in an extreme, life-threatening situation, his body will undergo a 'rapid evolution/adaptation'. This is a very painful process which forcefully adapts his body in a number of seconds to combat whatever the threat might be (a 'rapid evolution' occurred in Chapter 7, during the fight with Ryoga on the mountain) . This does not make him indestructible; far from it, in fact. For example, an unexpected bullet to the head would kill him before his powers can do anything about it.

If there are any questions about this, or if anyone would like a more detailed explanation, send me a PM and I'll be happy to provide one.

Some of you managed to guess what Ranma's powers were beforehand. These people include **Jess D**, **BlazeStryker**, **sadfru**, and **LordThom**. You each get one of the world's most delicious cookies. I know there were more, but I can't recall who they were at the moment; if you were one of them - and I will check, so don't lie - please let me know and I'll add you to this list.

Sage. Obviously, anyone who knows the character will notice some differences from the comics. The reasons behind these difference will be explained in due time, so don't fret over it. She does not currently have her ability to 'jumpstart' latent mutants or 'advance' existing mutants, although she can observe and catalogue their genetic structure. She also has her minor telepathic abilities and computer-like mind.

One last thing: I'm making a request for pre-readers. As you may notice, even though I go through several read-throughs to catch any mistakes, I tend to miss a couple. So anyone who would be willing to pre-read my chapters, and has excellent spelling and grammar skills (as good as my own or better), send me a PM. Hopefully I'll get some responses on this...

And, as always, please review! I love reviews! The feed my ego and inspire me to write faster. Any criticism that is not constructive is useless to me, so please provide reasoning to back up whatever problems you may have with either my story or my style. It can only help me become a better writer.

P.S. **DarkJackel**, I told you I would use 'CSI: Fairbanks' :P

* * *

_Edit 1/29/08: Shifted a scene to the proper place.  
_


	14. Chapter 14

**Evolution 1/2**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or X-Men: Evolution. I would like to borrow Storm, however, so I can jumpstart spring; 84 inches of snow is just too damn much, even for Wisconsin...

Special thanks and cookies to my new pre-readers, **JamesAxelrad, simonmountney, GrizzlyBiscuit **and** lightningjoebobjackson.** Give 'em all a big round of applause, they did a great job.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

* * *

A beautiful young woman with long brown hair walked determinedly down the busy sidewalk, the office workers and housewives parting before her like the Red Sea. The cold, 'don't-fuck-with-me' expression on her pretty face was enough to do this, but the giant gleaming spatula strapped to her back - which many people on the street had seen used with deadly effectiveness - no doubt helped create this effect as well.

"Is that...?"

"Oh crap, it is!"

"Oh God no!"

"They're coming back! There go our property values again!"

"Yes! Kimishima Construction will be out of debt once again!"

"Where's the Chinese girl? I miss the Chinese girl..."

Ukyo Kuonji ignored both the looks and whispers of the people around her, her mind completely focused on reaching her destination. She was not in a good mood, and had not been in a good mood for several months now. Her fiancée had up and left her for a second time, and so she had been forced to close up her beloved restaurant and go on the road again to track him down. She'd paid Nabiki a hefty sum for information on Ranma's whereabouts, and had been given a list of places he might be.

And he hadn't been at any of them. Not a single damn one. None of the people at said places had ever even heard of him.

The only consolation from her expensive and fruitless trip around Japan was that Shampoo had dropped out of the race. Ukyo had been with the Amazons when they were looking for Ranma at the Masaki shrine in Okayama; the okonomiyaki chef didn't know what decrepit crone had written the Amazon marriage laws however many thousand years ago, but they should have included a 'dumb luck' clause. Ukyo had heard about how Ranma had defeated the purple-tressed Amazon via indirect knockout and thus became engaged to her, but what had happened with that Masaki kid was just plain stupid.

Shampoo had been running towards a boy they had thought was Ranma that was working in a field of carrots, ready to give her trademark 'glomp-n-grope' greeting. She had only been a few yards away from him when a tiny rabbit-cat thing had popped out of nowhere. Shampoo had been overwhelmed by the cuteness of the creature, tripped over a gardening tool hidden among the carrots, and slammed face-first into the pole section of the hoe the boy had been using.

Cologne had ruled it as a legitimate defeat, as the boy - Tenchi - had knocked her out with what was technically a weapon, even if they hadn't actually been fighting. Even more surprising to Ukyo was that the Amazon Matriarch had deemed the victory to be more legitimate than Ranma's, as Ranma had not actually been holding the weapon that had knocked Shampoo out. Ukyo wasn't sure that logic really made sense, personally, but who was she to dispute an Amazon matriarch on her own laws?

Shampoo had then squealed in joy and enthusiastically proceeded to give Tenchi the Kiss of Marriage. By then, the other occupants of the household - several very beautiful young women - had come out to see what was going on.

Ukyo had no idea what had come of the whole situation, deeming it necessary for her continued safety to get the hell out of there when a cyan-haired girl started throwing around energy blasts.

What followed was a journey that seemed to cover every remote corner of the island nation. About halfway through the list, Ukyo began to suspect that Nabiki had suckered her out of a good 50,000 yen. Three-fourths of the way through, Ukyo was certain of it.

Which is what brought her back to Tokyo; tired, pissed off, and making her way through a throng of everyday citizens in a last attempt to find her wayward fiancé.

Walking straight through the door of the Shinkasa Dojo, Ukyo could have cared less that she was interrupting a class. The brown-haired chef walked through the group of students - it looked to be an intermediate Kempo class, from the moves the students were displaying - to the young man stoically observing at the front.

"Ryo," Ukyo said, her tone implying he would be very sorry if he tried to impede her in any way. "Where is your brother?"

The man's stoic expression melted away into a broad smile when he noticed the girl talking to him; Ukyo rolled her eyes. Ryo had had a stupid little crush on her for years now, to the point that whenever she was around, his personality did a complete 180º turn. He became shy and stuttering, a faint blush colouring his cheeks as he attempted to answer her simple question.

"H-he's in... um, he's in his... uh, I m-mean, uh, J-Jiro-kun is ov-over in..." After what she thought was a very long two minutes of stammering, Ukyo's foot tapping against the wooden floor in impatience with an increasingly loud 'thunk-Thunk-THUNK', Ryo gave up trying to speak. Dropping his head in a show of unparalleled embarrassment, he lifted an arm and pointed to the door on the back wall that led into his twin's office.

"Thank you," Ukyo said through gritted teeth. Normally, she would have stayed and flirted with the boy a little for her own amusement. She'd never date him, especially not with his being nearly seven years older than her, but the fact that he wasn't Tsubasa gave him a considerable amount of appeal. In her present mood, however, flirting was the last thing she felt like doing. Without even giving the older martial artist a second look, Ukyo went in the direction indicated, opened the door and walking straight in.

"...now they're all over the place? Well, that's not good, is it? Hard to find them when they're all spread out like that."

Inside the office was a man identical in appearance to Ryo, with the exception of a thinner build and a small scar over his left eye. He was leaning back in a large, plush red leather office chair behind a large oak desk, a cell phone held up to his ear. Noticing he had a visitor, Jiro held up his index finger to indicate he'd be only a minute longer. Ukyo held back a sigh, leaning up against the closed door while she waited for him to finish; unlike his brother, Jiro wouldn't let her get away with a deliberate show of impatience.

"And what about the west wings? Did you find any spiders there?"

Ukyo gave up trying to figure out what the phone call was about, and instead focused her mental energy on not tearing her hair out as she was forced to wait.

"You did? How many? Just one? And it's green?" Jiro continued, tapping a finger against his chin. "Well, stay out of the area, and I'll call in an exterminator. Don't wanna take any risks after all, it could be dangerous." He went silent for a few minutes as the voice on the other end spoke. "Yes, I'll pick some up on my way home. Okay. Okay, I will. Alright. Love ya, g'bye."

Closing the phone, Jiro set it down on his desk and sighed. "I'm sorry about that, Kuonji-san," he said pleasantly. "My girlfriend had something shipped from South America, and it seems a few spiders managed to get inside the crate... but that's not important to you, is it? What can I help you with?"

Walking straight up to his desk, Ukyo thrust a hand into her tunic and pulled out a large wad of bills. Slamming it down on the desk, she turned a harsh glare at the man. "There," she spat out, "3,000,000 yen. Now tell me where my fiancé is."

"Ah, yes," Jiro said, his ever-present smirk growing slightly wider as he took the money. "I saw you on Iron Chef the other night; a truly inspiring victory, I must admit. I would have placed a wager upon your victory, but Ryo-kun refused to bet against you."

"Where. Is. Ranma?" Ukyo growled, leaning in menacingly.

Jiro seemed completely unconcerned with the display, focused as he was on counting his money. Setting it down after confirming it was all there, he opened the uppermost drawer of his desk and pulled out an envelope, handing it over to the irate chef.

Snatching it out of his hands, Ukyo tore it open and read the single sheet of paper inside. "The United States." Ukyo said slowly, her eyes peeking over the edge of the page at the smiling face of Jiro Shinkasa. "The United States? That's all you can tell me, 'the fucking United States'!?"

"That's as accurate a location that three million yen will get you," Jiro said calmly. "If you want me to narrow it down further, it'll cost you."

Crushing the sheet in her hand as she boiled with rage, Ukyo forced herself to calm down enough to make herself understandable. "That was every last yen I had," she said slowly, "Why are you suddenly charging me, anyway? You didn't charge me anything more than a year ago when I was trying to find Ranma the first time!"

"Yes, and then the 'vengeance' you trained ten long years for was waylaid by a simple trite compliment."

Ukyo couldn't help herself as a low growl rose in her throat.

"The first one will always be free, Kuonji-san," Jiro said, crossing his arms behind his head as he leaned back in his chair. "The second one will always cost you, and the third one..." he trailed off.

Ukyo grimaced. "The third one will be paid with a favour." she finished for him. "Fine, I agree. Just tell me what I want to know."

"New York." Jiro replied.

Ukyo waited for him to elaborate. "New York State, or New York City?" She asked when she realized he wasn't going to.

"I'd try the second one first, and then expand outward into the first. I can't give you anything more accurate than that, Kuonji-san," Jiro told her. His gaze suddenly turned deadly serious and for the first time she could ever remember, his ever-present smirk deserted his face. His voice carrying an edge sharper than any of her spatulas, he continued, "You owe me one favour, to be called in at any time for any reason. When it is called, you will drop everything, no matter how important, and attend to what I ask of you. You will not like the results if you do not follow these conditions. Understand?"

Ukyo blinked several times, the cold fear suddenly rising within her completely dousing the burning rage she had been working up; he had never spoken to her - or anyone ele, as far as she knew - in such a way in all the time she had known him, but she could feel the truth in his words. He would follow through on that promise. Nodding slowly, she turned around and left the office, barely acknowledging the farewell Jiro sent after her and not even noticing Ryo's stammered good-bye.

She had a location. A mirthless grin cam across Ukyo's face as she made her way back to her restaurant; she'd have to open it for a few weeks to earn the money needed to get to New York, but that wouldn't be too much of a problem. She'd waited for ten years to get her revenge the first time, and he'd placated her with a simple compliment.

She wouldn't be fooled by that again.

* * *

Snapping awake at exactly 5:30, Tessa sprung from her cot and landed in a crouch on the balls of her feet, a pair of knives appearing at the ready between her fingers. Immediately scanning the room for any potential threats, and detecting none, she eased ever so slightly and slipped the knives back into her sleeves.

It was a reflexive action, one honed through years of awakening in the presence of actual dangers and threats to her life. Tessa knew she could probably change it so she didn't awaken in such a violent way, but felt no need to; the only people that had ever been bothered by it were the ones who tried to kill her in her sleep, and the very few lovers she had taken in the past. Besides, one never knew when such a reflex would come in handy.

Giving her neck a small crack and ignoring the protestations of her sore muscles, Tessa began her morning routine by grabbing her towel, slipping on her sunglass to check for any messages, reviewing the previous night's fight with one part of her mind and playing a mental game of sudoku with another. Stepping out of her room, she gave the man sleeping on her couch a glare; she had hoped he would be gone by now. Resisting the temptation to kick him awake and throw him through the window, Tessa stepped into the apartment's small bathroom.

Draping her towel over the door handle, Tessa glanced down and scowled; that bastard had left the toilet seat up. Adding it to the growing mental list of 'Reasons to Hate Remy,' the ebony-tressed woman twisted the shower knob and hoped the landlord had fixed the water heater. After several seconds of ugly sputtering, the tarnished shower nozzle released an angry torrent of ice-cold water. Within a few seconds, steam began to waft from the quickly heating water.

Nodding in satisfaction, Tessa disrobed, her black silk pajamas - one of the few luxuries she allowed herself to have - pooling at her feet, and stepped into the water.

Allowing herself a brief moment to enjoy the warmth of the water as it cascaded and battered her pale skin, Tessa located the plain white bar of soap and began washing. The dirt and grass stains and dried blood that had remained on her from the previous night put up a half-hearted struggle before giving way to the simple cleansing agent.

As she went through the motions of personal hygiene, a section of her mind continued to review the fight with Darkholme's spawn; she had succeeded in forcing the truth onto him, albeit through a distorted outlook. She had told him the absolute truth about his powers, but skewed the effects that they had on his body and skill as a martial artist. Tessa knew from his reactions that the seeds of doubt had been planted, but if and when they would bloom she was unsure.

The pale woman winced as she accidentally pressed against a particularly nasty blue-and-purple bruise. Setting down the soap, she grabbed the light blue bottle of shampoo and squirted some into her hand.

Running her fingers through her wet locks as she applied the hair care product to her scalp, Tessa found herself faced with the quandary of what to do next. She was still recovering from the first fight - and would be for a few days more - so striking again soon wasn't a viable option. Waiting too long, on the other hand, might allow him the time to come to terms with what she had told him.

After a few more seconds of high-speed analysis, she was able to determine that there were a few logical courses she could take from this point on. None had a particularly high probability of success, however, especially with the added factors she'd been able to observe the previous night. Her mind continued to race through the various possibilities, checking and double-checking every variable, but coming to no certain conclusions.

Rinsing her hair thoroughly, Tessa turned off the water and stepped out, an involuntary shiver running through her at the sudden change in temperature. Wrapping her towel around herself and picking her nightclothes up off the floor with her toes, the raven-haired mutant exited the bathroom.

There was a factor Tessa knew she was not seeing, something that despite her constant analysis and observation, she had failed to properly take into account. The scenarios she had developed were not much different than the ones she had devised before last night's encounter, yet now they had a much smaller probability of success. Why was this?

She spared a moment to glare again at the man on her sofa before stepping into the bedroom. Dressing herself in an outfit far more casual than the kind she had been wearing lately - a pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved red shirt, - Tessa set a portion of her mind towards figuring out the next move she would make. Stepping out once again in the living room, the woman focused her current attention on the matter she could deal with.

"Get up," Tessa snarled, giving the occupant of the couch a kick in the side. Her eyes darted in the direction of his bo staff when he didn't respond. She gave him a second kick.

"s'not mor'ng 'et," The response came, muffled heavily by the couch the speaker's face was pressed against.

"It's 5:45." Her fingers twitched towards the man's bo staff.

"M'rning don' c'me 'til ten," the man countered, shifting his position slightly in an effort to gain more comfort.

Her fingers closed around the staff. "Here," she growled through clenched teeth. "Morning starts when I say it starts."

"Make me som' breakf'st, mebbe I get up so'ner."

Tessa's eye twitched and she raised the staff above her head.

* * *

Rogue let out a low groan as she felt the light of the rising sun trying to force her eyes open. Reaching down to pull the covers over her head, she was confused when her fingers found only her pants. Had she kicked the sheets off in the night? Groaning again, she let her eyes open into thin slits, wincing as the sharp sunlight pierced the sensitive orbs. Sitting up and pulling her arms back into a stretch, she realized she was lying on a cold, hard surface instead of a warm, soft bed.

Sleepiness fell from her like a discarded cloak as she realized where she was, and the events of the previous night flashed through her mind. Looking down, she could see the boy she had fallen asleep next to the night before (absently noting that technically, it was the first time they'd slept together), she saw he was gone. Casting her gaze around the Institute's rooftop, she was easily able to determine he was no longer up here with her.

Going to the edge, she looked out over the backyard, where the younger student's morning training session should be going on. Sure enough, on the grass behind the school were ten figures, eight of which were following the motions of the ninth while the tenth looked on. She couldn't see them too clearly, but she'd know that pigtail anywhere.

Looking down at the ground, a slightly more pressing concern arose; someone had apparently moved the ladder she'd used the previous night, so how the hell was she supposed to get down?

Rogue sighed after a few moments thought. Looked like no other options but to either call for help or climb down, and she damn sure wasn't going to cry for help...

Grabbing a tight hold of the edge, Rogue pulled herself over it and swung around the side. Glancing down, she saw a balcony about ten feet below her. Letting go from the edge, she landed easily in a crouch on both feet with a minimum of discomfort. Making a mental note to 'thank' Ranma for teaching her that, she quickly debated whether to try that again and land on the grass below, or risk waking someone up by going through the room she was currently outside of.

Deciding the effort she had just gone through to get off the roof had granted her the right to take the easy way out, she opened the balcony door and walked straight through the room. She didn't bother to try and find out who's it was, or if anyone was actually inside. If they caught her, they caught her.

A minute later, Rogue was walking across the yard to the training session that was going on. She smirked as she saw the younger students struggling to do push-ups; Ranma had barely started them on actual physical combat, intending to break them in with rigorous workout sessions before subjecting them to his teaching methods. This of course meant that the older student's martial arts training had been rescheduled; now taking place after school. That suited Rogue just fine; it was much easier going through his workouts with the promise of sleep afterwards.

"Ranma," She said softly as she stepped up next to him; the pigtailed boy spared her a quick look and a small smile before turning his gaze back to the younger students.

Rogue stood next to him silently for a few minutes, watching as Rahne shouted for the group to switch to sit-ups. There was much grumbling among them, but they did as they were ordered; Rogue had no doubt they were planning revenge on both her sort-of boyfriend and his teaching assistant as soon as they were skilled enough. She and the older students had been planning the same thing since the training started, and had finally realized only a few days ago that that reaction had been Ranma's purpose since the very beginning.

"Yer doin' a great job, Rahne," Ranma said softly as the lycanthrope approached him, still keeping one eye on her students. "I think they're really beginnin' ta hate ya durin' trainin'."

"Aye," Rahne replied, a touch of what sounded like nervousness in her voice; Rogue guessed she still wasn't used to the idea of being put in charge. "But are ye sure it's necessary?"

"First rule of Saotome Martial Arts Instruction," Ranma said, as if quoting from an ancient and revered manuscript, "Make 'em hate ya; yer students will be motivated ta improve by their desire ta kick yer ass."

"But," Rogue put in, "what happens when they get good 'nough ta actually kick yer ass?"

Ranma smirked, an expression Rogue was thrilled to see return to his face. "Second rule of Saotome Martial Arts Instruction," he replied, "If the student becomes good enough ta think they can kick yer ass, stop goin' easy on 'em and begin the advanced lessons."

"Still," Rahne said, looking out across the yard at the sweating and groaning kids. "I'm not sure if I feel right 'bout puttin' 'em through alla this."

"That's fine," Ranma told her, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving it a small squeeze. "You can be a little nicer to 'em if ya want - it's only me they really havta hate. Now," he removed his hand from her shoulder and pointed toward one of the students. "It looks like Jubilee has decided to take a little breather. Go and see if ya can 'motivate' her a little."

Rahne nodded and shifted into her red-wolf form, running over to Jubilee. The exhausted girl eeped loudly when she discovered a wolf behind her, growling menacingly.

Ranma grinned as he watched Jubilee hurriedly resume her sit-ups, and then grinned wider when she shot him a glare, sparing Rahne from her ire. They knew by now that Rahne's orders came from him, and were directing their anger towards the proper person.

"Ah think she has a crush ya," Rogue teased, slipping her arms into his and turning him towards her.

"Jubilee?" Ranma asked incredulously, "Hell no, she hates me."

"Not her," Rogue shook her head, "Rahne. Ah think she's got herself a little bit o' hero worship for her sensei."

"Yer crazy," Ranma told her, another grin blossoming on his face. Rogue fought back a blush at the sight of it; she knew she had it bad for him, but he didn't need to know that. "She's just a student."

"Ranma," she said, all teasing gone from her voice. She was reluctant to turn the conversation away from where it looked to be leading, but this was an issue that needed to be addressed. "Can we talk?"

"'Bout what?" The pigtailed boy answered, his tone getting gaining a note of suspicion.

"'Bout last night," She said, ignoring his annoyed look as he realized what she wanted to talk about. She didn't care if it bothered him; he needed to talk about it. "Are yah feelin'... y'know... alright?"

"I feel fine," he stated, his eyes darting away as he spoke. Rogue had known him long enough to know that this was an obvious sign that he was lying.

"No yer not," she insisted, "It's botherin' ya, Ah can tell."

"Nothin' is botherin' me!" The pigtailed boy insisted angrily, his eyes still turned towards the training; Rahne had started nipping anyone who happened to slow down. "FIVE MINUTES!" He yelled out, "If ya don't finish whatcha were given, yer runnin' twice as many miles after school!" He felt a burst of sadistic pleasure as they all started moving nearly twice as fast; he understood now what his father had gotten out of this.

"Ranma," Rogue said, grabbing him by the chin and turning his head towards hers. Meeting his gaze, she repeated herself. "Ah can tell what Sage said last night is botherin' ya. Ya need ta talk ta someone 'bout it; ya can't just hold it in."

Ranma just stared at her, his hard gaze softening slightly. "Later," he mumbled begrudgingly, "I need more time ta think 'bout it."

"Ahright," Rogue agreed, her hand releasing his chin and sliding around to the back of his neck, where it was joined by the other. "Now... didja realize that technically, last night was the first time we ever slept t'gether?" She gave him a sly and sultry smile, and was soon rewarded with a blush crossing over his face and adorable stammering as he attempted to respond.

* * *

"I hate him I hate him I HATE HIM!" Akane seethed, slamming her fist on the table to accentuate each declaration of hatred. The table shook violently with each strike, causing her two friends to grab for their drinks in an effort to keep them from becoming airborne.

Yuka sighed in resignation as she sat back against the back of the booth. "I knew the happier attitude was too good to last," She whispered to Sayuri. Next to her the other girl nodded, watching their ranting friend with concern and no small amount of apprehension. The three girls were currently sitting in a small cafe, waiting for the arrival of the fourth member of their group. School had let out only an hour earlier, and Akane was still fuming from a second incident involving the new boy in school.

Despite what Shiro had said upon their first meeting, he had once again joined in - or as Akane had angrily deemed it, interferred - in the morning fight. What's more, upon finishing the last of the Horde o' Hentai, the boy had proceeded to taunt Akane with the fact that he'd taken down more of them than she had - he could even prove it, as apparently he had attached a 'Knocked out by Shiro' note on each one.

"I swear," Akane growled, not noticing the brief conversation between her two companions. "I swear, if he interferes one more time, I'm going to make that arrogant bastard join the rest of those jerks on the ground!"

"How much longer do you think she's gonna be at this?" Sayuri whispered to Yuka.

"Until Betsy gets here, I'd say."

"British girl better hurry up then," Sayuri muttered. After thinking for a moment, she added, "One thousand yen says she got lost again."

"No bet," Yuka replied, sipping at her root beer and keeping an eye on their ranting friend. "The odds are too much in your favour on that one."

"Damn," Sayuri cursed; that would have been an easy thousand yen. "Well then, one thousand yen says she-"

"Sayuri-chan," Yuka cut in, "If you wanna borrow a thousand yen, just ask."

"It's more fun when I win it," the other girl admitted.

"I mean it!" The youngest Tendo declared. "That stupid, arrogant BOY is gonna get it, and I'm gonna be the one who gives it to him!" She let out and evil chuckle. "Oh yes... I'm gonna give it to him, and give it to him good..."

Both of her friends shared a glance and saw that the other was trying in vain to keep from laughing. At that moment, both Sayuri and Yuka failed in this effort and exploded into raucous giggling and chortling. Akane stared at them for a moment, wondering what they were laughing about. A second later, her face erupted into a dark red blush as she realized how her words could have been interpreted.

"I didn't mean it like that!" She declared hurriedly; her words fell on deaf ears, however, and the giggling turned into full-blown laughter.

"Okay," A new voice interrupted, the precise Japanese it spoke laced with an obvious British accent. "It appears as if I have missed something quite hilarious."

All three girls turned to see the fourth and newest member of their little group had arrived. She was a Caucasian girl of average height, slightly taller than her three friends. She had bright, expressive blue eyes and long, sleek purple hair that reached to the bottom of her shoulderblades - she claimed the colour was natural, but everyone knew she dyed it. In her hair was a light pink, plastic barrette that held her bangs to the side. Her figure was one that inspired a small amount of jealousy in her friends, and she wore a pair of fashionable low-cut jeans and a tight halter top that showed it off.

"H-hey Betsy," Sayuri managed to gasp out through her laughter. Taking a deep breath, she made an attempt to calm herself. Before she could say antyhing, however, she caught a glimpse of Akane's face and lost it a second time.

"I said something," Akane explained to Betsy, giving both of their other friends a quick glare. "And these two took it completely out of context just because it happened to accidentally sound slightly perverted-"

"SLIGHTLY perverted?" Yuka interrupted, "Akane-chan, you practically announced your intention to give Shiro the best night of his life!"

Betsy directed a raised eyebrow at Akane. "Really now," she commented. "And here I was convinced you hated the boy."

"I do hate him!" Akane declared, crushing her empty cup in her fist. "It was a slip of the tongue, nothing more!"

"Yeah, you wanna slip him the tongue," Sayuri teased, bringing forth another round of giggles from Yuka. Akane humphed and crossed her arms beneath her breasts.

"I don't blame you, Akane-chan," Betsy told the girl. "That boy is simply delicious. Easily on par with your ex-fiancé, if you ask me."

"You want the jerk, you can have him," Akane muttered angrily.

"I might take you up on that," Betsy said with a grin. "He is simply scrumptious, if you ask me."

"Can we drop the subject of Shiro Yoshida?" Akane asked, standing up from the table. "C'mon, Betsy-chan is here now, so lets get to the movie. I want to get my mind off that infuriating jerk for a few hours."

"Oh, fine," Sayuri agreed, sliding out of her seat and throwing her empty cup into a nearby trash receptacle. "We can talk about your crush on Shiro later."

"I do not have a crush on him!"

"She denies it like she denied her feelings for Ranma-kun," Yuka commented to Sayuri, acting oblivious to her friend's anger - she and Sayuri knew they were among the few Akane wouldn't direct her rage towards, and took advantage of that as often as they could. "It must be love."

"Oh, shut up," Akane muttered as the group headed for the door. "The boy is nothing but a pain in the ass, and Betsy-chan is welcome to him for all I care."

"Better go for it, Bets," Sayuri whispered to the purple-tressed Brit. "Before Akane-chan changes her mind and decides she want him."

"Oh, I plan to," Betsy smirked, fingering the butterfly barrette in her hair as a faint blush tinged her cheeks. "You saw him during gym class the other day, right?" she shivered at the memory. "That boy has the bloody cutest butt I have ever seen. Akane-chan doesn't know what she's missing out on."

"I can hear you, you know," Akane said drily, causing Sayuri and Betsy to giggle. Deciding they had teased their friend enough - for the moment, - the conversation shifted to other topics as the four made their way to the theatre.

* * *

"So... where is room B14?" Ranma asked, looking down at his schedule.

"It's on the lower level," Scott replied as he pulled into the school parking lot. Grumbling upon seeing that someone had taken his usual space, he pulled into the empty one right next to it. "You just take the stairs by the cafeteria down, and you can't miss it."

"Great," Ranma replied, casting an eye towards the burned-out husk of the school gymnasium. "So no one remembers that?"

"Nope," Kitty answered as she stepped out of the car. "Professor Xavier managed to totally alter the memories of everybody there. They all think it was the fireworks that did it."

"Everyone except for Principal Kelly," Scott added. "The prof wasn't able to finish the job before he blacked out, so we should be careful not to let Kelly hear anything that might jog his memory."

"Right," Ranma said, wishing now that he hadn't asked the question; thinking about the fire made him think about the fight that caused it, and the things that Sage woman had said to him. He did not want to think about that right now. "Well... time ta go ta a class I never signed up for and have no interest in whatsoever..."

"Cheer up, bruder," Kurt said, throwing an arm around Ranma's shoulder as the group walked up the steps of the school. "Art classes are not so bad. You vill get the chance to see vhat a different Art is like."

"I don't care 'bout 'a different Art'," Ranma grumbled. "This has gotta be some kinda prank someone is pullin' on me," he added, giving his half-brother a suspicious look out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey, how could I have pulled off something like that?" Kurt asked defensively, though he was silently wishing he'd had the idea and the means to do such a thing. "It was probably the same person who impersonated you on the phone vith Melinda and set up that date."

Ranma and Kurt both failed to notice the quickly smothered expression of amusement that crossed over Scott's face, as well as his barely-restrained laughter.

"Anyvay," Kurt continued, discretely slipping a 'Kick Me' sign on Ranma's back as he removed his arm. "Try and have some fun in your new class before they manage to fix your schedule. You might find something you enjoy, ya?"

"I doubt it," Ranma muttered, not realizing he was repeating the words he'd spoken in the principal's office the previous day. Pulling the sign off his back and grinning momentarily at Kurt's upset expression, Ranma gave the rest of his housemates a wave as he and Rogue split off from them.

"Stalking me again?" He teased her, crumpling up the 'Kick Me' sign and tossing it into a garbage can thirty feet away. A large man passing by in a white lab coat and glasses blinked at the sight, eying the boy who's thrown it with a look of consideration before going about his way. Ranma didn't notice, as Rogue's elbow had found its way into his gut.

"Mah locker is down by the Art Department," Rogue said, removing her elbow. "Ah think by now Ah'm over the whole 'stalkin' the cute boy' phase." She paused as a sly grin came over her face. "Although the view from behind would be worth it," she added, giving him a light smack on the ass to drive the point home. Rogue laughed at his yelp of surprise, and then let out a yelp of her own when a purple blur appeared in front of her.

"Goooooood morning!" Risty greeted them with bright eyes and a wide, sparkling smile.

Ranma blinked several times, then darted his eyes around the hallway. "Where the hell did ya come from, Ris?"

"A pleasure to see you as well, Ranma," the British girl replied, sticking out her tongue. "Does he always extend such fabulous greetings to pretty young ladies?" She stage whispered to Rogue, who snickered in response.

"Do ya always pop out outta nowhere like that?" Ranma countered.

"Constantly!" Risty answered, giving him a superior smirk. "I'll have you know I can be incredibly sneaky when I want to be." She fell into step with her two companions as they started walking again, heading down the small stairway

"Did you guys see that explosion last night?" She continued talking, her excitement growing as she recalled the event. "Oh my god, it was brilliant! That firework went all 'whoooosh'-" she shot her arm out forward, "-and then 'zcweeEEEEeach'-" the same hand suddenly made several wide arcs, forcing Rogue and Ranma to duck and weave out of it's path, "-and then finally 'fsssssh-shooooSHKABOOOOOM!'" Risty's hand impacted against the other one, and both appendages were thrust into the air, pantomiming said large explosion.

"Uh, yeah," Rogue said after a moment as they stepped through the doors and into the art department. "We were both there."

"Wasn't it great?" Risty asked again. "I mean, sure it blows that the gymnasium is gone, but the explosion was cool enough to make up for the loss! Right, Ranma?" She glanced over at the pigtailed boy when he failed to respond. "Ranma?"

Ranma barely noticed the British girl speaking to him, his mind focused on taking in his first glimpse of an area of the school he'd never seen. It looked much the same as the rest of the building; grey-tiled floor, dull white walls with rows of bluish-grey lockers lining them, broken up only by doorways to the various classrooms. There were a few off-colour paint stains on the floor, and the walls above the lockers were decorated with paintings. At the far end of the short hallway was a display case featuring various sculptures in a variety of mediums.

"Ooooh," Risty trilled, remembering the boy's schedule. "That's right. It's the first day of your new, unexpected classes in the artistic field, isn't it?"

"Unh," Ranma grunted, his expression twisting into one of displeasure.

"Risty?" Rogue said softly. "Could ya give us a few minutes please?"

Risty mock sighed. "I suppose I can give you two time to whisper sweet nothings to each other. Still have plenty of time before the bell rings, but don't waste it all, got it?" She wagged a finger at the two in mock-seriousness for a moment, then spun around on one heel and headed down to the end of the lockers, locating her own after a few minutes of searching.

Rogue watched for a moment before finding her own locker, and then made certain Risty was out of earshot before speaking again.

"Ya know," Rogue said as she spun the dial to input the combination. "Ya might wanna look at these classes as an opportunity."

"Hmmm..." Ranma thought for a moment, a smile slowly crossing over his face. "Ya know... ya might be right."

"Ah might?" Rogue asked, nearly dropping her books in surprise. She had expected a resistance similar to what he had given Kurt; did she mean that much to him that he was willing to-

"Yeah," Ranma exclaimed excitedly. "It IS a great opportunity! I'll finally be able ta catch up on sleep!"

-completely misinterpret what she was suggesting. Shutting her locker, Rogue rolled her eyes. "That ain't what Ah meant, Ranma."

"It wasn't?"

"No," She said with a shake of her head. "It's a great opportunity ta expand yer horizons, or however ya wanna put it." She poked him in the chest with her free hand. "Remember, ah said ah was gonna help ya find somethin' besides martial arts ta be interested in. Why not give this class a shot? Ya ain't got nothin' ta lose, an'... an' it might get yer mind offa what happened last night..."

Not giving him a chance to refute her, Rogue gave him a kiss on the cheek and ran off to rejoin Risty, calling out a quick "Have fun!" over her shoulder.

* * *

Emma's eyes widened as she stepped out of her cousin's car. "What the hell happened to the gymnasium?"

"Do you not remember?" Melinda asked her cousin, giving her an incredulous look. "We were there, Emma! Some idiot made a mistake with the fireworks at the game, and one of hit the gym. The whole thing went up in flames."

"No," Emma said slowly, a look of worry washing over her perfect features. "I... don't remember that. I don't remember anything..."

"How could you not?"

"I don't know..." Emma replied, still staring at the charred remains of the school's athletics facility. She thought hard, trying to remember seeing a fire during the previous night's soccer game, but all she found was a complete blank. The last thing Emma remembered was reading a book and wishing fervently that things would get more interesting. "I don't remember anything..." she realized, worry now entering her tone as well.

"Very weird," Melinda commented as they walked into the school. "You were not injured at all; nobody was, so I do not know why you could be having any kind of memory loss."

"I never have any kind of memory loss," Emma fretted, her eyes remaining on the burned building as long as they could. "You know I have a near-photographic memory!"

"Of course I do," the other blonde said with a nod. "Same as me; it is practically a Frost family trait." She thought for a moment as they turned down the hall towards their lockers. "It could be some kinda amnesia, or maybe it scared you more than you thought and you repressed the memory?"

"Maybe," Emma said, trying in vain to recall anything about the previous night. Her eyes widened briefly as one thing came back to her. "I remember a pair of... red eyes?"

"Red eyes?" Melinda questioned as they opened their adjacent lockers. "Who the hell has red eyes, and why would you remember that over anything else?" She paused, then amended the statement. "Although, I suppose a pair of red eyes would be odd enough to remember even if you could not recall anything else..."

"I have no idea why I remember that," Emma admitted, the previous exaltation of finally remembering something now replaced with confusion over what that something was. Why did she remember a pair of red eyes? She didn't even remember a pair of them, now that she thought on it; just a single red eye, and a feeling of gratefulness and adoration beyond any she had ever felt.

"Something is not right..." The gorgeous blonde muttered to herself as she slammed her locker shut. "And I don't like it."

"Well," Melinda said as she looked up at the clock. "We gotta sort this out later. The bell is gonna ring in a little while, and I do not wanna be late for class. See ya at lunch, 'k Em?" Opening her bag quickly and giving the contents a quick inspection, she nodded and ran off down the hall.

Emma nodded absently, her feet moving independent of her mind as she made her way to her first class. Something was going on, she just knew it, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

* * *

His mind echoing Rogue's parting words, Ranma almost walked right past room B14 without even realizing it. Catching himself at the last second, Ranma stood outside the doorway for a few seconds, as if debating whether or not to actually go in. Taking a deep breath, he begrudgingly decided that skipping wouldn't help the situation in the least and crossed the threshold.

The inside of the room was very different from the other classrooms in the school; it was bigger, for one thing, with one entire section of the room devoted to storage space and standing easels, some with completed or half-completed paintings and drawings upon them. The other side of the room contained around a dozen tables, each large enough for two people to sit at comfortably, arranged in a semi-circle facing a raised platform next to the wall, upon which was a tall object concealed by a long white sheet. Along the upper part of the wall across from the doorway were several small, rectangular windows providing an eye-level view of the ground outside. Along each wall, where there was space, were cabinets of various sizes, which Ranma assumed held art supplies. Each side of the room held a pair of sinks, all of which looks very messy from years of accumulated paint stains.

"You seem lost," A clear, casual voice interrupted his examination.

Ranma looked over to the side to see a man in his late twenties with long blonde hair pulled into a loose ponytail relaxing at an inconspicuously-placed desk directly to the right of the doorway. His feet were propped up on the desk, and his eyes - behind a pair of wire-frame glasses - were focused on the sketchpad in his lap. There was a black smudge on his cheek, as well as several more on his plain white t-shirt and ratty blue jeans.

"Are you lost?" The man - whom Ranma guessed to be the instructor - asked, glancing up from his sketchpad and meeting Ranma's eyes for a brief second before returning them to his drawing.

"Hehe," Ranma laughed nervously, rubbing the base of his pigtail, "No more than usual."

The man laughed. "A joker," he said, nodding approvingly, "I like that. So, have you come here for directions, or are you just lost in the metaphorical sense?"

"Well," Ranma took a moment to decipher what the man was saying. "I'm in the right place physically. Are you the teacher here?"

"For lack of a better term," The man replied, swinging his legs off his desk and standing up, offering a hand with charcoal-covered fingertips. "Nice to make your confused acquaintance," he greeted as Ranma shook the proffered appendage, "The school wants me to introduce myself as 'Mr. Peterson', but I prefer that people just call me Dante."

"Ranma Saotome," The pigtailed boy introduced himself.

"Well, Ranma," Dante said, "In what way, if not physically, are you lost then?"

"It's kinda funny," Ranma said, pulling his schedule out of his pocket, "but I never signed up for this class. There was some kinda mistake, an' I got three Advanced Art classes every mornin' now."

Taking a glance at the schedule, Dante raised an eyebrow. "That's very odd..." he muttered softly. "And, if the scheduling department is anything like when I went here, then it's not likely you'll be able to get it fixed any time soon. Or, to be more accurate, at all, and I'd put money on that."

"I ain't never taken an art class before," Ranma admitted, "So I really got no clue what ta do here."

"Hmmm..." The teacher rubbed his stubbled chin with his fingertips, leaving more charcoal smears on the skin after he pulled them away. "Well, all three of these are advanced classes, as you know, which means you shouldn't have even been able to get mistakenly placed in them, as, by your own admission, you haven't completed the prerequisite courses."

"Normally," Dante continued, handing the schedule back to Ranma, "In this kind of situation, I'd have you bumped down to one of the lower-level art courses - unfortunately, those are all full up."

"I don't really wanna be in any art class," Ranma muttered, which caused the art teacher to raise his eyebrow again.

"And why is that?"

"'Cause I ain't got no interest in it."

"Are you sure?" Dante questioned, a mischievous smirk drifting onto his face. "Have you ever given it a chance?"

"Well, no..." Ranma admitted. "But I ain't never had no desire to give it a chance. Like I said, I got no interest in it."

"Then what do you have an interest in?"

"The Art," Ranma responded automatically, his voice confident. That confidence dropped a moment later when he was reminded of what Sage had told him. He violently repressed those thoughts, not feeling like dealing with them at present.

Dante stared at him blankly for a moment. "I'm wondering if we have some kind of misunderstanding," he said slowly. "You just told me you have no interest in art."

Ranma blinked, wondering how the man had misinterpreted him. "Oh!" he exclaimed, smacking himself in the forehead as it hit him. "Sorry 'bout that. I meant martial arts."

"Ah," Dante nodded in understanding, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he processed the information. "Well... then that's not much of a stretch, really. The art you are interested in and the art in which you are not are actually more similar than you think."

"... I don't follow," Ranma said, confusion evident.

"Think of it this way," Dante began. Before he could continue, however, a yellow and purple streak appeared out of nowhere and collided with him, nearly bowling the man over with the force.

"Dante!" A familiar voice cried out ecstatically. "I missed you so much! How was your summer? Did you get my postcard?"

The tall man blinked, a slow, affectionate smile crossing over his face as he realized who had hit him. "Melinda," he greeted, awkwardly returning the hug. "I've been well. You?"

"Great!" The blonde exclaimed, pulling away and looking slightly embarrassed for having ambushed her teacher. "I wanna show you all the pieces I finished over the summer!" She excitedly held up a black, ring-bound sketchbook.

Off to the side, Ranma rose in eyebrow; he hadn't known Melinda was into this kind of stuff. In all the time they'd talked, she'd never mentioned a thing about it. Or maybe she had, he realized, and he just hadn't been paying attention; he knew he had a tendency to tune her out when she started rambling.

Melinda blinked several times when she saw there was someone else in the room, and then blushed deeply when she realized who it was. She couldn't believe she had let Ranma see her glomping onto another man; she fought back the urge to latch onto him as well.

"Ranma!" She smiled, and then tilted her head questioningly. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"That's what we were just discussing," Dante answered her. "It appears as if your friend Ranma has a little schedule mix-up, placing him in all three of my Advanced Art courses."

"Three?" Melinda asked, her questioning gaze now turned towards the teacher. "I thought you were only teaching Drawing and Painting this year."

"Lorelei eloped with Dr. Varnsen three days ago," Dante said with a sigh, running his fingers through his hair. "So they're having me take over her Sculpture class until they get back."

Melinda made a face. "Dr. Varnsen? And Lorelei?" Lorelei was a tall, statuesque brunette who doubled as coach for the girl's gymnastics team and could wake up a coma patient with a smile; in contrast, Dr. Varnsen was a disheveled, stork-like physicist with a receding hairline who could put chronic insomniacs to sleep with a five-minute lecture.

The teacher shrugged. "I stopped trying to come up with an explanation when my eyes started to bleed."

The blonde shook her head in disbelief and turned back to the object of her affection. "Whatever. Anyway, Ranma, are you going to stick with the class?" She tried to keep the hopeful tone out of her voice, but a little bit slipped through.

Ranma didn't notice. "I'm trying to get it fixed, actually,"

"We'll have to discuss this later, though," Dante said, glancing up at the clock above the doorway. "The bell will be ringing right about-" The bell sounded, and the three were forced to the side as several students entered the room. "-now. Melinda, since you seem to know Ranma rather well, why don't you sit with him? I hate to impose on you, but could you also help him out a bit if he needs it?"

Melinda was proud of how unenthusiastic she was able to nod her agreement.

"Ranma," He continued, "I'd like to finish our discussion later, but for now just follow Melinda. Do what you can in class today, and if you have any questions, just ask her or me. Hopefully we can get this all figured out and fixed soon, but until then, if you're in my class, BE in my class; does that sound fair?"

"I guess..." Ranma mumbled.

"Come on," Melinda said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him towards one of the tables. "It will be fun!"

"Right..." Ranma sighed. This was going to be a long three hours.

* * *

A long, black limousine pulled up to the steps of a large and imposing gray-stone building. It was a very impressive work of architecture; once a Gothic-style cathedral, it had been converted from that original purpose in the mid-seventies when attendance had dwindled into single digits. The stained glass that had once graced the tall, arcing windows had long since been replaced with thick, semi-transparent glass and long iron bars. The once elaborate stone carving that adorned the outside had long since been weathered by the ages, yet still carried a sign of the craftsmanship involved.

The eerie calm that emanated from the former cathedral always unsettled Charles Xavier, no matter how many times he visited. His mind almost made the parallel between the lost purpose of what the building was and the many lost causes that now lurked within, but it was squashed before it could fully form; that was not the right attitude to have when trying to help people.

Giving Logan a smile of thanks as he helped him out of the car and into his wheelchair, he made his way towards the ramp that led to the large wooden doors set deep into the entrance arch.

"I shouldn't be long," He told Logan. The other man nodded and pulled a rolled-up motorcycle magazine out of his back pocket as he leaned back against the car. Seeing he had something to keep him occupied, Xavier turned his gaze back to the building. He had been coming here once a month for over ten years now, and not once had he ever looked forward to it. It wasn't an easy task, and would likely never become easy - but it was necessary.

Composing himself, Xavier pushed forward - figuratively, of course, as his wheelchair was motorized - and made his slow way up the steep ramp. He could have easily called someone from the inside to help him up at a faster pace, but he liked to use the time going up to reflect upon what he had planned.

Reaching the top and entering through the double-doors, Xavier was greeted by a very tall, very muscular black man in a blue guards uniform.

"Mornin', Professor," The guard, tipping his cap forward in greeting, revealing a small wireless receiver in his ear.

"Good morning, Harrison," Xavier greeted in return, giving the man a friendly smile as he took hold of the wheelchair's handles and guided him through the metal detector. "Is she ready?"

"Got here a little early," Harrison replied, holding his hand to the communication device at his ear and listening for a moment, "We're still in the process of movin' the other patients out of the common room before we bring her out." He frowned for a brief second, and then continued. "She backslid a bit the other day; we were takin' her to see one of the docs, and one of the new guys didn't bind her tightly enough. I don't know what happened in the doc's office, but the girl just exploded, and one of her hands was loose enough to twitch her fingers a little."

"Was anyone injured?" Xavier asked with an audible sigh; they'd begun to make so much progress, too. He'd have to find out what had set her off this time.

Harrison shook his head as he pushed his keycard into an electronic reader next to a large steel door. The reader let out a soft buzzing noise and the door clicked open. "Naw, she only managed to break the windows before they were able to restrain her. Still, she's been ranting and raving and practically foamin' at the mouth ever since; we've had to sedate her three times."

"This is very distressing," Xavier said, rubbing his chin as he though about how far this may have set them back. He doubted the girl would tell him what had set her off; not for a few sessions at least, and not until she had calmed down from it significantly.

"Hello Professor."

The softly accented, musical voice jolted him out of his thoughts. Looking in the direction it had originated from, his eyes met with a pair of familiar brown orbs.

The voice belonged to a young Hispanic woman of about twenty-four years, with flowing midnight-black hair reaching down to the small of her back. Her pretty face had an innocent quality to it, with dark chocolate brown eyes that seemed to stare at nothing and everything at the same time. She looked to be around five feet, six inches in height and had skin of faded bronze. A pair of simple white pants covered her legs, ending in a pair of red sneakers on her feet. Her arms and hands were bound tightly to her slender abdomen in a virgin-white strait-jacket, hiding any other physical details beneath it. The garment appeared to be custom-made, with more straps than normal to prevent even the slightest of movements. Oddly, the girl presented no signs of feeling uncomfortable by the restraints, and, unlike others in the institution, seemed to show no desire to have them removed.

"Thaliá..." he said softly, a neutral expression coming over his face. He raised a hand slowly, gesturing for Harrison to stop. "How have you been?"

"I've been very happy," Thaliá said, smiling beatifically. "They let me have a radio! The music helps block out the songs..." her smile faded slightly. "They won't let me have it on at night though, and the songs come back..."

Her face brightened again almost immediately. "Are you here to see Wanda?"

"Yes," Xavier replied, ignoring the phantom pain in his legs, "which means you have to be taken back to your room. I promise, I'll stop by to see you soon, and we can talk further." He would have liked to continue the conversation, but despite her enthusiastic and friendly demeanor, he was one of many who found Thaliá to be very... unsettling.

"Oh, Mr. Harrison," Thaliá spoke as if suddenly remembering, "Are you still coming by for checkers later?"

"Sure am," Harrison replied with a smile. "And this time I ain't gonna let ya win, girl. But you go on back to your room for now, okay?"

"Alright then. Bye-bye, Professor!" Thaliá replied sweetly as she was led away by an attendant, humming an unrecognizable tune to herself.

"Has she been getting her medication?" He asked Harrison quietly once they were on their way again.

The guard shook his head. "Had to quit days ago, Professor," he said. "We had to up the dosage again since last we saw you; we can only give her pills, you know, and her bloodstream will develop up a resistance to anythin' we give her. Got to the point where anythin' more might kill her, so we had to stop."

"I see," Xavier said as he digested the information. Letting the matter drop, the rest of the journey to the isolated meeting room was traveled in silence.

Xavier was left waiting for almost twenty minutes before a pale young woman with chin-length black hair was brought into the room flanked by a trio of attendants and a pair of security personnel. Her arms were strapped as tightly as Thaliá's, rendering her hands and arms completely incapable of motion. Two thick rings on the shoulders of the jacket were attached to a pair of thick poles, allowing two of the attendants to lead her into the room.

"Please," Xavier said, raising a hand in their direction. "There is no need for that."

"Professor-"

"I'm certain she will cause no trouble," He interrupted. "Please, wait outside until we are finished."

Reluctantly, the hospital staff agreed and unhooked the poles. The girl bolted upright, causing the guards to reach for the batons on their belts. Xavier remained calm, returning the girl's cold gaze with a calculating one of his own. She gritted her teeth, anger flowing off her in waves, but made no move to attack or flee. After a few tense moments, the guards and attendants slowly backed out of the door, shutting it with a heavy thud as soon as they were outside.

With the guards gone, the girl slumped to the floor, staring directly at the cold stone beneath her.

"Wanda," he greeted calmly, his hands steepled in front of his face. "How have you been?"

The girl said nothing for several moments, blatantly ignoring the man in front of her. Xavier waited calmly, and finally Wanda spoke her response.

"Fine." The clear, strong voice held nothing but rage.

"That is not what they tell me," Xavier replied. "They said you lashed out several days ago. Would you be willing to tell me why?"

Wanda said nothing, but began visibly trembling, her anger threatening to break through.

"If you tell me, I may be able to help you." Xavier told her. "But I can't do anything if you-"

"They took my pages," She interrupted, her words laced with a barely-restrained fury that momentarily stunned Xavier.

"What are these pages?" He asked after taking a few seconds to collect himself again. "You've spoken of them for years, yet you refuse to let anyone see them or tell anyone what is written on them."

Wanda did not respond, her eyes remaining locked on the grey stone.

Although it went against his ethics, as well as Wanda's personal privacy, he had tried to telepathically find the answer to the mystery a few years ago. Wanda's mental defences were not especially strong, yet anything related to the 'pages' was sealed up tightly and guarded heavily; the amount of force it would take to get through the mental blockades she put up to protect that secret would likely leave the girl a vegetable.

"Is it something you've written?" He guessed, even though he knew her hands were never free enough to allow her to write anything, nor would they ever let her handle anything as sharp as a pen, "Or perhaps a letter written to you?"

"Forget it." Her words dripped venom.

"Please, Wanda," Xavier implored, "I might be able to get them back, but only if you tell me why they are so important." He wasn't sure if that was true, but this was an issue he'd wanted to get to the bottom of for some time now; it seemed to be tied in to the root cause of her anger.

"I SAID FORGET IT!" She screamed, dark hair flying wildly as her head snapped up, her dark eyes boring deep into his. He met her gaze unflinchingly. "It's none of your business! Forget I said it, and start the stupid therapy so I can go back to my goddamn cell."

Xavier frowned, but nodded in agreement and set the matter aside. Hopefully, they could make some progress today, and maybe she would be willing to shed some light on these mysterious 'pages' at a later date.

* * *

Slumped in her seat and fingers clenched tightly on the edge of her desk, Jean felt a trickle of sweat roll down her forehead as she tried to force the voices out. It was happening again; she was losing control of her powers. They were growing too fast for her to keep up, and the mental exercises and discipline Professor Xavier had taught her years ago weren't working nearly as well as they had then.

Dammit, she needed a null, and she needed one badly. A quick glance up at the clock told her she still had ten minutes until the end of class, and even then another two hours until lunch. Another two hours until she could go find Ranma and get what she so desperately needed from him.

Closing her eyes, Jean attempted the meditation exercises her pigtailed team mate had been showing her. Relaxing her grip on the desk, she took several deep breaths and tried to find her centre.

Slow, deep breaths.

In... and out.

Slow and steady...

In... and out.

'Imagine a place of tranquility, where you feel most at ease.' Ranma's instructions echoed in her memory.

_She was on a soccer field, alone, her feet crushing the grass below her as she guided the ball towards the goal. Dodge an imaginary opponent to the left; send the ball past the two coming in the right. Slip past them and gain control of it again. Anticipate the goalie; she would be expecting Jean to come in from the right, so it would be best to -_

_**'-uck, where did I leave my pen? Coulda sworn I put it- '**_

The thoughts broke through, causing Jean to visibly flinch. She tried to ignore them and return to her meditation, the single voice broke the dam and more began to flow in.

**_'-wonder what they're serving for lunch today. I think I'll get -'_**

**_'-Danny better not be cheating on me, or I swear I'm gonna grab him by the - '_**

She clenched her teeth, hoping no one was looking at her; she probably looked like a complete mental case right now. Another drip of sweat escaped down her cheek.

**_'-holy shit, I can totally see down Grey's blouse! Man, has she got a great pair of-'_**

Jean's eyes snapped open and she spun around, giving the boy behind her a venomous glare. Seeing him flinch under her gaze, she turned back around and sat up straight. Closing her blouse up a few more buttons for good measure, the redhead closed her eyes again and made another attempt. She slowed down her breath, and for a wonder the voices began to fade away _as she feinted right, shooting the ball horizontally towards the other side of the field. The goalie fell for it, jumping to intercept the ball that wasn't coming. Catching up to the checkered ball again, stealing it away from an opportunistic opponent, Jean moved a little closer to the goal. Pulling back her foot as the goalie realized what was going on, she aimed quickly and-_

"Ms. Grey, are we boring you?"

Her eyes snapped open and a faint blush appeared on her face as she realized everyone was now staring at her. "Uh, n-no, Mr. Keyes," she stammered out, fishing through her mind for some kind of excuse. "I was just, um... absorbing the lecture." She smiled weakly.

Mr. Keyes stared at her dryly. "Then perhaps, Ms. Grey, you could tell us what the topic of discussion is?"

Why did Keyes have to use the royal 'we' all the time? Dammit, now was not the time to get annoyed by his eccentricities. What subject was this again? History! Jean's eyes quickly glanced down at her book, hoping the page she was on was still relevant. "Uh... Japanese propaganda during World War Two?"

Mr. Keyes raised an eyebrow in surprise and gave her a curt but acknowledging nod. "Very good, Ms. Grey. We apologize for singling you out; it appears you were paying attention after all. Now, getting back to the significance of the Iwo Jima Garrison Song..."

Jean sighed in relief, then winced as the voices started coming back. At least her telekinesis wasn't flaring up this time; that would be way too damned difficult to explain. Casting her eyes up towards the clock, she fought back an audible groan. Only three minutes had passed.

This was going to be a long two hours...

* * *

Rising from her seat, Kasumi gave her exam one final check as she walked towards the front of the room. Satisfied with all of her answers, she placed the thick booklet and answer sheet on the instructor's desk. "Finished, Kawabata-sensei," she said softly so as not to disturb the students still working.

The instructor lifted his head from the lesson plan he was preparing and looked at the answer sheet and test booklet that had been placed on his desk. A moderately attractive man in his early thirties, Minoru Kawabata had only two things in his life - his beautiful wife, currently pregnant with their first child, and his teaching career. The latter wasn't as glamorous as it could have been, but he had no objections. Teaching a high-level Physics course at a regular community college wasn't his dream job, but it did allow him to teach, and provided him with the time he needed to work towards his doctorate, a few courses at a time.

"Ms. Tendo," he said, taking the answer sheet and looking it over carefully, "You know this exam counts for more than half of your final grade. Are you sure you don't want to spend more time on it, or at least check it over a few times before you hand it in?"

"I did, Kawabata-sensei" Kasumi replied, a smile gracing her features. "Three times."

Minoru blinked, looking down at the answer sheet and up at Kasumi several times. "Three times?" He asked. "I handed out the exam not ten minutes ago..."

"I'm sorry, sensei," She said, misinterpreting the statement, "I would have had it done sooner, but there was a line at the pencil sharpener."

Staring up at his student, Minoru discovered he was having difficulty finding the right words. Turning his gaze back to the answer sheet, he skimmed through all one hundred and fifteen of the filled-in circles. "These are all correct," he mumbled disbelievingly after a few minutes.

Kasumi waited patiently for her teacher to dismiss her, humming softly to herself while bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet; she knew she had all the answers right. It would be impolite to leave without his dismissal, but there was a copy of Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics IV in the school library she'd wanted to take a look at for some time now. She'd have to get there quickly before someone managed to snatch it up before she could.

After going through his student's answer sheet for a third time, Minoru set it down on his desk. He hadn't been that surprised initially when the young woman before him had turned up in his class a few months ago. In the time that had passed since that first day, however, he had been surprised on a regular basis by Kasumi Tendo. She was a regular participant during his lectures, and her assignments were handed in on time, often before they were even due. Her marks were the highest in the class, and from what her other instructors had told him, she was the same in every class she was taking.

But this... this had surpassed everything she'd managed to accomplish by a very wide margin. Looking back up at the smiling girl, he made a decision.

"Ms. Tendo," He said carefully, "Would you be willing to come to my office this Friday. Around, say, five o'clock?"

"Oh my... I suppose I could, Kawabata-sensei," Kasumi said after a moment's thought. "What might this be about?"

"There's someone I'd like you to speak with," Kawabata said, only half of his mind truly on the conversation now. The rest was wondering how he could convince Professor Watanabe he had someone she needed to meet...

* * *

"You know," Melinda said as she gave Ranma's attempted a drawing a critical eye. "This is pretty damn good for a first attempt at drawing."

"It is?" Ranma asked, looking over the pencil drawing of a feminine mannequin in a toga wearing cowboy boots, a scuba mask and a large rainbow-patterned clown wig. Dante had given them a little warm-up for the first official class of the year, saying he'd wanted to see how much they had improved over the summer. That had been the tall item beneath the large sheet on the platform, and was named Lola; this was apparently an inside joke, as the resulting hilarity among the rest of the class had left Ranma completely lost. Melinda had explained it, through bursts of choked laughter, simply by saying 'You had to have been there'.

"Yeah," The blonde nodded, pointing at various parts of the picture as she spoke. "Your lines are fluid and smooth, your proportions are all... fairly accurate, and you managed to get the entire figure on the sheet without cutting anything off or leaving too much negative space." She paused, biting her lower lip. "On the other hand, there is no texture, the depth is way off, your shading is weak, the light source is hard to determine, and the folds on the clothing look... well, wrong. There is also something else missing, but I can not quite put my finger on it..."

"Feh," Ranma muttered disinterestedly, crossing his arms on the table and resting his head against them. "I was only followin' along with what ya told me; 'sides, it ain't nearly as good as yours." He gestured towards the drawing at her side, which - to his eyes - looked as if it could have been a photograph.

"That is not the point," Melinda said with a sigh. "This is what I have been doing ever since I could hold a pencil. I have experience, and worked very hard to get as good as I am. This is the first time you have ever even tried to draw something, if what you say is true, and the level of skill shown is not what I expected for a first-timer."

"Eh," Ranma grunted uncaringly. A small part of his mind wondered how she would feel if her artistic skill had come from an advanced x-gene, but that train of thought was ruthlessly crushed before it could go any further.

Melinda felt like tearing her hair out at his uncaring attitude. "Do you not get it, Ranma? This is the equivalent of..." she paused for a moment, trying to find a metaphor that might interest him. "This is the equivalent of you giving me a single martial arts lesson, and me suddenly displaying the skills of a third don black belt."

"Dan," The pigtailed boy corrected.

"Whatever," Melinda brushed aside the correction and continued trying to drive the point home. "Do you see what I mean? If you worked a little harder, actually made an effort to try, in a couple of years you could be a truly amazing artist!"

"I keep tellin' ya, I ain't all that interested."

Ranma lifted his head up, looking over the pair of drawings again; his, looking slightly stiff and half-assed, and hers, vibrant with an unseen energy that captured the viewer's attention. "It wasn't as borin' as I thought it would be, but I just can't see myself doin' it."

He looked up at the blonde girl. "Come ta think, I find it kinda hard ta see you as bein' so passionate about this. I mean, ya don't really seem like the artistic type," He paused, taking a rare moment to think and make sure an accidental insult hadn't sneaked in. "How come ya never mentioned anythin' 'bout it?"

Melinda shrugged. "I do not care to advertise myself," Her eyes darted around the room, seeing a few of the students who, like them, were waiting in the room for the next period. "Most of these other guys," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "all they seem to care about is that other people know how skilled they are, that they convey the 'image' of an 'individual' who is only interested in 'expressing themselves' or getting a message across through a surreal painting or whatever their particular little gimmick is.

"I do not care about that," She continued, "They let the artistic image they present to the world be what tells people who or what they are; I prefer to let my work speak for me, and to allow it to show the world what I am."

Ranma blinked. "Huh," he managed to get out, still processing her words. They actually made a lot of sense; she didn't let what people thought about her have anything to do with who she was. Her actions were intended to speak louder than her words.

Damn... who knew Melinda could be so deep?

She'd worked very hard to attain the level of skill she had in her chosen field; despite his attempts to smother that line of thought, he found his mind comparing that to his own situation. She'd gained her level of skill through dedication and a strong desire to improve, and yet she didn't want to flaunt it to the world. She didn't boast about being the best, and didn't seem to care how skilled others thought she was. He'd done the exact opposite - he'd been trained to be the best, and had a tendency to proclaim such as often as possible.

Ranma's face twisted into a brief mask of confusion. Why did he proclaim to be the best at every chance he was given? All it had ever gotten him were more rivals and challenge matches than he knew what to do with. Not to mention the accusations of arrogance - which Ranma was willing to admit he was happily guilty of, that and narcissism. He idly wondered if he should have done as Melinda had, and let his actions speak louder than his words. Let people see his skill and judge it themselves, instead of through infuriating boasts forced down their throats.

There was a meaning in here somewhere, but it was then that the bell sounded, and his introspection was forgotten in favour of a disdainful curiosity over whether he'd prove better at painting than drawing.

* * *

Jean twitched as the second hand of the clock struck noon, then twitched again as the bell took one second longer than normal to sound. Not even waiting to be dismissed, the redhead bolted from her chair, nearly colliding with her Spanish teacher as she raced out the door.

Recalling vaguely that her friends were planning to meet at the usual table outside for lunch, Jean bypassed her locker and made a beeline for the quad. Reaching the table, Jean sat down and began to wait, her impatience obvious by the arrhythmic rapping of her fingers on the red wooden tabletop and increasingly frequent glances towards the door.

"Hey, Jean, you wann-"

"Not. Now. Duncan," the distraught telepath interrupted. Duncan recognized her tone immediately and knew enough to make himself scarce; must be that time of the month.

Hoping she wasn't twitching too violently now - especially after 'hearing' Duncan's assumption as to the reason behind her curt dismissal - Jean continued to watch the door. Every person that came through it that wasn't the person she wanted to see only increased her anxiety. She briefly acknowledged Scott and Evan joining her at the table, then ignored them again in favour of keeping up her constant vigilance.

Finally, after what seemed like several hours - years, even, - Ranma stepped through the exit and into the quad, Melinda and another blonde Jean didn't know walking along with him. Jean had crossed half the distance to him before she realized she had even gotten out of her seat.

Melinda blinked in confusion as a red blur raced past her and grabbed the boy she had been walking with, leaving her long braid fluttering in its wake. Looking in the direction both blur and boy had disappeared in, Melinda turned to her cousin with a question ready on her tongue. Seeing Emma staring at something else entirely, however, Melinda sighed and shook her head in exasperation; hopefully Ranma would explain what had just happened, whenever he returned from wherever the hell he'd been spirited off to.

Following Emma's gaze, Melinda saw the other students from the Xavier Institute congregating at their usual table. When her rival for the pigtailed boy arrived, she took a deep breath in preparation; taking a quick glance inside her book bag, Melinda nodded to herself and started towards the group. She was unsurprised when Emma followed along with her.

She was very surprised, however, when upon reaching their destination, her cousin immediately took the seat across from Scott Summers, not even noticing as the brown-haired girl she pushed aside squawked in alarm.

"Jeez," Kitty grumbled, scooting over to allow the new girl some extra room. "Like, rude much?" She shot the girl a dirty look when her comment went unacknowledged

"Your sunglasses..." Emma breathed, staring in wonder at the ruby-red shades covering the brown-haired boy's eyes.

"Um... yeah?" Scott replied, raising an eyebrow when the girl failed to elaborate.

"Em?" Melinda poked her cousin in the shoulder. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Emma replied, her eyes still focused on the brown-haired boy's sunglasses.

"Whatever," Melinda sighed. Emma seemed to have found a new fixation, which was a good thing, she supposed; her cousin had been showing entirely too much interest in her Ranma.

Turning to Rogue, who was sitting at the table with her head in her crossed arms, Melinda leaned down to look her in the eye and get her attention. "Rogue," she greeted, trying to make herself sound as polite as she could. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

"So talk," Rogue replied, her emerald eyes meeting the other girl's viridian gaze directly and unflinchingly.

The blonde glanced over at the other teenagers at the table, then back at her rival. "In private, please," She said, gesturing with her head towards a less populated area.

Rogue raised an eyebrow, curious as to what this was about despite herself. Rising from her seat, the goth girl nodded without another word and headed in the indicated direction.

Seeing Melinda following after, Evan turned to Kurt. "What do you think that was about?" He asked, poking a straw into his first milk carton of the lunch period.

"For truth, I am actually a little more curious as to vhat this is about," Kurt replied, nodding in the direction of Emma and Scott, the former still staring at the latter, who was enjoying the attention of the beautiful girl across from him, but honestly beginning to feel a little weirded out.

"Your shades," Emma said suddenly, leaning in close, an action which had an added effect of putting an emphasis on her cleavage. She seemed completely unaware of this, as well as the reactions this caused in the few boys at nearby tables lucky enough to catch a glimpse.

"Yeah, my shades," Scott answered, still wondering where she was going with this. "You mentioned them before. Twice now, actually."

"May I," Emma cleared her throat in a dignified manner. "Excuse me, may I see them please?"

"Uh... sorry, but you can't." Scott said with a shake of his head, slipping into the excuse he used whenever questions about his eyewear came up. "I've got an eye condition. My eyes can't handle light that well."

"And why is that?" Emma asked, her curiosity unfeigned. "Epilepsy? Chronic photophobia?"

"Yeah, the second one," Scott replied, "Constant, actually. The photoreceptors in my retinas are extremely oversensitive, and my optic nerves can't handle much excess light."

Evan, Kurt, and Kitty shared a glance; Scott had really built up his cover.

"Why are you so interested in them?" Scott asked, hoping to turn the topic away from why he needed the shades. While he could further back up what he had told her, he knew there had to be a few holes in his cover story, and he didn't want to risk any of them being stepped into.

"The colour," Emma said softly, "That... gorgeous ruby-red tint... it's the exact same one from last night."

"What?" Scott asked, pulling away from her. "What do you mean? Did the light from the firework that caused the gym to burn down have the same shade?"

"I do not remember any fire in the gymnasium," The blonde answered, placing her hands against the table top to push herself closer. Her knees were up on the seat now, and she seemed unconcerned that the entire male population of the quad were now staring directly at her raised posterior. Several boys - and a couple of girls - were slapped by irate significant others. "I don't remember anything from last night, except that colour..."

"Dude, she doesn't remember anything?" Evan whispered to Kurt. "I thought the prof replaced the memories of everyone who was at the game."

"Something must have gone wrong," Kurt replied. "Maybe ve should have Jean let him know, ya?"

"I'm pretty certain it's just a coincidence that the colour of my shades and the colour from your memory are the same," Scott told Emma, leaning back as the girl climbed up onto the table, placing her face directly in front of his, her eyes mere centimetres away from his.

"Please?" Emma said softly, her breath brushing against his face in a manner that made his cheeks redden. "May I please take a look at them, for just a moment?"

"I-" Scott gulped, finding he couldn't lean back any further without falling off out of his seat. "I'm sorry, I have a... a thing about strangers handling my shades."

"My name is Emma," She introduced herself, holding out a hand while maintaining her balance with the other. "Emma Frost. And you are?"

"S-Scott. Scott Summers." He accepted her hand, giving it a friendly shake. He felt a little foolish for latching on to the friendly greeting as if it was a life preserver, but it was the only bit of familiarity in the entirety of the absurd situation he seemed to have stumbled into.

"Well, Scott," Emma said, giving both his name and hand a soft caress that sent shivers down his spine. "We're no longer strangers. Would you still begrudge giving me a closer look?"

"I'm, uh, afraid so," Scott said with an audible gulp. "Hey, um, Emma? Would... would you mind getting off the table? Your knee is crushing my sandwich."

Emma blinked, the words breaking through the spell she hadn't even realized she'd fallen into. Looking down to see that, indeed, her snow-white leather pants were now stained with yellow mustard that had squeezed out Scott's roast beef and ham club, Emma sighed in dismay. Slowly backing away and returning to her seat, Emma lifted her leg up onto the bench with her and examined the stain.

"Oh, son of a bitch," She cursed, the words seeming unnatural when spoken in her refined and cultured voice. "This is not the way to make a first impression..."

"Ouch," Kitty said in sympathy, looking over Emma's shoulder to see the stain for herself. "That is so not going to come out easily."

"I have two dozen extra pairs of them," Emma replied, brushing off the concern. "I apologize, Scott," she continued, turning to the boy. "For both the sandwich and for my rude persistence."

"It's fine," Scott replied, still quite weirded out by the experience.

"No it is not," Emma refuted, her long blonde hair flaring as she shook her head. "I insist that I make amends." She was silent for a moment as she gave Scott a thoughtful look. Leaning forward, she flashed him a killer smile. "That carnival is this Friday night, correct?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Then let me take you," Emma said. "And I will pay for everything."

"Really," Scott insisted. "It's not necess-"

"I won't take no for an answer," Emma interrupted, leaning forward and placing her chin against the back of her upraised hand, a curious gleam in her eyes. "Why, pray tell, do you seem so dead-set against going on a small, insignificant little date with me?"

"I just don-"

"Are you seeing someone?" The blonde questioned, a faint hint of worry entering her voice.

"Well, no," Scott admitted. "But it-"

"Then there is no problem," Emma stated, elegantly rising to her feet. "I look forward to accompanying you to the event on Friday... and hopefully seeing you in the days before then as well. It was a pleasure meeting you, Scott Summers." She turned to the other three at the table, blinking as if suddenly realizing they were there. "I apologize for ignoring you to the exclusion of your friend," she told them. "Hopefully, the next time we meet, we can become properly introduced as well."

Without another word, Emma walked away, leaving four young mutants silent as they attempted to process what had just happened.

"Okay," Scott said dazedly after several minutes. "Someone clue me in as to what just happened."

"Melinda's cousin, a new student and one of the hottest girls in school apparently remembers nothing from last night except the exact colour of your shades," Evan began, setting his empty milk carton down next to two others.

"She then proceeded to get directly into your face and practically beg for you to let her see them," Kurt continued for him.

"Like, then she totally smushed your sandwich," Kitty concluded, "and insisted on taking you to the carnival on Friday, and paying for everything, to make up for all of it."

"Yeah," Scott said, nodding slowly. "That is what happened."

"Dude," Evan said, exchanging a glance with Kurt, "I think he's in shock."

* * *

Ranma had not been surprised when the red blur that had pulled him into the school's athletic equipment shed turned out to be Jean. He was also unsurprised by the desperate and pained expression she wore, which he had come to correctly identify as a sign that her powers were getting out of control again.

"Lemme guess," He said, cutting her off before she could even begin speaking. "Ya need another null."

"Please?" Jean implored, holding her hands under her chin and putting on her cutest expression; sure, he was technically with Rogue, but what guy - single or not - could resist this look?

His stomach groaned in protest. "Couldn't ya wait 'til I got somethin' ta eat, Red?"

"Nu-uh," Jean said, shaking her head.

"Have ya been tryin' the meditation exercises I showed ya?" Ranma asked, purposely averting his gaze and pretending to be interested in the construction of the tackling dummy.

"I did," Jean replied, moving so that she was again in his line of sight. She pouted when he shifted his gaze again. "T-they only work for a little while, and I can't get deep enough into it to tune out the rest of the world."

"You have ta keep workin' at it, Red," He told her, turning his gaze towards the ceiling when she moved to enter his line of sight again. "It gets easier with practice."

"I've been practicing them for the past three hours!" The girl exclaimed, the sporadic twitching of her left eye now ruining the effect of the expression she was trying to overwhelm him with. "And I'm going to keep practicing, but I can't keep holding it back for long! Please!"

"Will ya at least talk ta the prof 'bout this?" Ranma asked. "And soon, I mean."

"Yeah, I promise," Jean said distractedly, sensing he was about to give in and, at this point, willing to say anything to ensure he did.

"I mean it," Ranma said, "If ya don't, I'm gonna do it for ya."

"NO!" Jean exclaimed, grabbing him by the collar. "I swear, I'll tell him soon, but you promised you wouldn't!"

"Okay then," Ranma sighed; he wasn't sure he had actually promised her that, but it did sound like something he'd do. He had just started forming the null when Jean interrupted him.

"Actually, uh, Ranma..." She said, tapping her fingers together nervously; every so often her eyes darted towards the door, as if to make sure no one was going to suddenly barge in. "I... I was wondering if, um, you had... anything, uh, you know... stronger?"

"Stronger?"

"Yeah, something that, you know, lasts longer, maybe has a little more 'oomph' to it?" Jean clarified, giving him a hopeful look; the mere idea of a stronger null was almost enough to make her salivate.

"I got somethin' I been workin' on," Ranma admitted. "Might take a little longer ta prepare, though..."

"I can wait!" The redhead replied eagerly; the fact that she hadn't been willing to wait for a regular null never once entered her mind.

* * *

"Ahright," Rogue said, turning to face Melinda. The two girls had made their way to an area of relative privacy, next to the small equipment shed that held the sporting gear for the various outdoor athletics. "Yah wanted ta talk, so talk."

"Rogue," Melinda said, placing stress the name. "I know the two of us have had our... differences in the past."

"That's an understatement," Rogue snorted. She could have said more, but she had noticed the lack of the usual 'nickname'; Melinda was making a point of trying to be civil, so Rogue decided she could as least give her a measure of the same courtesy.

"We have had our differences," the blonde continued, letting the comment slide. "But I want you to know, I do not really hate you."

"That makes me so very happy," The other girl deadpanned. "What is this, yer concession speech?"

"In your dreams, skun - Rogue," Melinda retorted. "I speak merely preamble. The point I am slowly leading to involves the truce we agreed upon."

"What of it?" Rogue asked, idly blowing a streak of white hair out of her face. "Ah've kept up mah end of it."

"As have I," Melinda told her. "What I want to do is extend upon it."

"Non-interference on dates not good enough fer yah?"

"No, it is not," She answered. "Plainly, I think, we both... care more about Ranma than the other probably thought."

Rogue nodded, albeit a little begrudgingly; thinking Melinda was only interesting in Ranma physically made her much easier to dislike. The goth girl wasn't in the habit of lying to herself, though.

"What I want," Melinda continued, "Is for us to be civil towards each other, at least when we happen to be around Ranma. No snipes, jabs, insults, veiled threats or open hostility. Furthermore, no badmouthing each other when one of us is alone with him."

"May Ah ask why ya want these... added conditions?" Rogue asked, crossing her arms beneath her breasts.

"Because," Melinda began, then stopped and took a deep breath. "Here, this should explain it better than I can." She opened up her book bag, pulled out three thin manila folders, and handed them to Rogue. "Keep this to yourself, by the way," She added. "Emma has no idea I am giving you these, and I would like to keep it that way."

Raising an eyebrow, Rogue accepted the files and opened up the first one. Inside were several pages containing information - physical attributes, history, and attempted schemes - about a girl named, oddly enough, 'Shampoo'. A small Polaroid attached with a paperclip showed a beautiful woman with long purple tresses, a mischievous look on her pretty face. The other files contained similar contents, one about a girl named 'Ukyo' and the second about one named 'Akane', the 'scheme sheet' of the latter containing considerably less than the other two girls.

"Are these who Ah think they are?" Rogue asked, paging through the file on 'Akane Tendo'.

Melinda nodded. "Ranma's former fiancées. I purchased the information from Nabiki Tendo, at her offer. It cost me a pretty penny, but it helped me gain valuable insight in to what our mutual interest has gone through with previous suitors."

"I know what you must be thinking," she added, seeing the suspicion and ire growing on Rogue's face, "But I... just wanted to know more about him. You know how hard it is to get him to talk about his life before he came here."

"Yah got a point," Rogue reluctantly agreed. She didn't like the idea of getting information on Ranma behind his back, but on the subject of his past 'relationships' he was incredibly close-mouthed. "What Ah don't get, is why yer sharin' this information with me."

"Because I believe in 'fighting fair,' so to speak." Melinda explained. "But more consequentially, because it is important that neither of us make the same mistakes these three did," She tapped the folders with a finger for emphasis. "It would only hurt both our chances, damage the trust he has in us and people in general and most importantly, hurt him."

Rogue nodded, the other girl's point becoming clear. "It ain't just 'bout us... it's 'bout him too. He sees two of his friends fightin' over him-"

"-and it will remind him of the girls back where he came from," Melinda finished. "And I should not have to stress how different from them we need to be."

"Ahright," Rogue agreed, holding out a gloved hand. "Truce extension accepted." She was pretty certain the other girl had another angle she was trying to play with this, but the southern girl could easily see the logic in Melinda's reasoning.

"Glad to hear it," Melinda replied, taking the hand and giving it firm shake. "Who knows," She said with a smirk, putting the folders back in her book bag and heading back to the table where she had left her cousin, "If we pretend to be friends long enough, we might accidentally start to get along for real."

"Right," Rogue snorted, rolling her eyes as she turned to walk away. "Ah'm sure that's gonna happen."

Turning the corner around the equipment shed, Rogue walked straight into Ranma and Jean exiting the building. Both looked as if they'd just gone through a ten-hour marathon session of the most difficult simulations in the Danger Room - that is to say, incredibly tired and incredibly haggard.

Rogue blinked, taking in their appearance and the fact that they were both coming out of a small, relatively secluded building. Suspicion began to rise in her stomach, but she forced it down, recalling Melinda's words about 'not being like his old fiancées'. She'd give them the benefit of the doubt and a chance to explain themselves; afterwards, she would decide whether or not to hate Jean for - possibly - trying to steal her man.

"Ranma?" She questioned. "Jean? What were the two of ya doin' in there?"

Both of the addressed teens jerked in surprise, not having realized they had company. Jean placed a hand to her heart, breathing in deeply to calm herself down. "Rogue," She greeted, smiling as best she could. "Y-you startled me."

"Surprised me too," Rogue replied. "Ah hate ta repeat mahself, but what were ya doin' in there?"

"One of the gym teachers asked me to put something away for him," Jean replied, quickly coming up with an excuse. That null had been simply divine; it was so much easier thinking clearly now, not to mention it had brought about such a delicious and curiously invigorating sensation. Just thinking about it sent a pleasurable tingle all the way down to her toes. "It was a bit too heavy for me, so I asked Ranma to help."

The excuse sounded made up, but Rogue really had no reason to doubt it; she was pretty certain Ranma wouldn't do anything like that with Jean anyway. Looking past Jean, Rogue could see the pigtailed boy, supporting himself against the shed and looking more beat than Scott after a session with the gophers. "Y'all right there?

"I'm fine," He answered her, flashing a weary grin. The new version of the null seemed to have worked, but left him so drained he thought Gosunkugi could probably knock him out without much effort; he didn't want to use that too often. "That box of weights was heavier than is looked."

"Thanks again for your help, Ranma," Jean said, giving the boy a smile of gratitude.

Ranma picked up the hidden meaning in the words. "Right," he replied, pushing himself off the wall with a grimace. "Next time, though, get someone else ta help ya out, Red." He gave her a flat stare, hoping his own 'secret message' was picked up by the currently-nulled telekinetic.

Jean let out a nervous chuckle. "Well," She said, turning away from the two. "Better go and get some lunch before the bell rings. See ya!"

"So what really happened in there?" Rogue asked once Jean was out of earshot. "Ah know ya weren't takin' anythin' in there, and Ah think Ah know ya well enough ta know ya wouldn't cheat, so it had ta be somethin' else."

"Nah, I wouldn't," Ranma answered, reflexively slipping an arm around her waist. "And I wish I could tell ya... but I promised Red I wouldn't - though she'd better deal with it soon, or I might havta break that vow."

Rogue would have a preferred a more detailed explanation, and knew she would make him give her one eventually, but put it aside for the moment in favour of a more minor concern she had been intending to address. "Ya call her 'Red'," Rogue said, her lips pursing in a mock-pout. "Melinda is 'Mel', Kitty is 'Kit'... when do Ah get an affectionate little nickname?"

"I do have somethin," Ranma replied after a moment, a wicked grin creeping across his face. "But I ain't sure ya would like it,-" he leaned in, whispering the rest into her ear, "-Anna Marie."

The elbow that appeared in his gut was a split-second too late to prevent the words from leaving his mouth. "Quiet!" Rogue hissed, her eyes darting around to make sure no one had been close enough to hear. "Ah told ya nevah ta call me that in public..."

* * *

"No."

"No?" Emma parroted, giving Nabiki a quizzical look. The brown-haired girl didn't seem to be paying attention, however, her focus instead on the nail file she was currently operating.

"No, Ms. Frost," Nabiki repeated, leaning back against Lance's jeep. The car's owner was sitting on the hood, staring at the stream of students leaving the building. Freddy and Todd were in the car, watching the two girls with half-interested gazes, and Pietro had yet to arrive. "No, _iie, non, nyet, ikke, nil, ingen, nein, haud, tidak, nem, ban bu dao, aniyo_, _det händer inte_ - should I keep going, or have I lost you already?" She frowned in the direction of her fingertips. "Damn cuticles."

"Why?" Emma asked, inwardly annoyed that she hadn't recognized any of the words after 'haud' - although it hadn't really mattered, since they had all meant the same thing. "You were perfectly willing to sell me and Melinda information on Ranma."

"Ranma-kun is one thing," Nabiki replied, finally looking up and letting Emma's icy gaze wash over her like a cool fall breeze. "I take a certain perverse pleasure in violating his privacy. Scott Summers, on the other hand..." She paused, and then decided to simply say it bluntly. "I won't sell you any information on him."

"I will pay triple your usual price," Emma offered, her curiosity now peaked by the other girl's refusal.

"It's not about the money," Nabiki countered, ignoring the looks of surprise on her team mate's faces; even Lance had turned from his Kitty-watching, and was giving her a look as if he'd never seen her before. The offer was tempting, and one part of Nabiki's mind was screaming at her to accept; a larger part however, the one Nabiki tended to listen to, was telling her it would be a very bad idea. "Either accept that I won't sell you the information you want and leave, or make another request I might be more willing to fulfil."

Emma crossed her arms beneath her breasts and gave the mercenary an appraising look; admittedly, the blonde bombshell barely knew Nabiki Tendo, but she had thought she'd gotten a good read on her during their first meeting. This time, however, the girl was acting in an almost complete contradiction of that first impression. Why would she be perfectly willing -eager, even - to sell information on Ranma Saotome, yet refuse completely when it came to Scott Summers? There was only one explanation that made sense...

The corners Emma's lips twitched into a small smirk, causing Nabiki's eyebrow to raise a fraction. "I see," Emma said softly. "So that's how it is, is it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nabiki replied briskly, returning her eyes to the work she was doing on her nails. Oh, she knew damn well what Emma was talking about, but Nabiki wasn't about to confirm nor deny the unspoken accusation and risk giving anything away.

A glittering object suddenly flew in a lazy arc towards her, and the brown-haired girl snatched it out of the air. Looking it over, she saw the profile of George Washington set into the flat side of a silver disk. Nabiki looked up again, her eyes narrowing as she saw the now-departing blonde.

"Payment for services rendered," Emma explained, flashing an amused look over her shoulder at the cyberpath. "The information you provided was worth every penny." She turned her head in time to miss the icy glare sent back at her, and the sight of Nabiki throwing the 'payment' away.

Watching the other woman meet up with her cousin at the latter's white Mini Cooper convertible, Nabiki connected her mind to the school's wireless network. Easily bypassing the - to her perception - slipshod security system, the cyberpath was able to quickly locate Emma Frost's file.

The permanent record didn't give her all the information she wanted on her potential rival, but Nabiki wasn't concerned. The afternoon was still young, and there were very few sources a determined cyberpath could not access.

* * *

Stepping through the front door of the Institute, Ranma resisted the urge to kick his shoes off at the door - it was both unnecessary, and when sudden training came up, completely impractical.

Ranma dropped his schoolbag on the first chair he came across, weaved his way around a grinning Tabitha and three laughing Jamie's being pursued by a snowball-flinging Bobby covered with blue cotton candy. The pigtailed mutant ignored the younger students and whatever had started this newest spat; he only had to care about what they did during their sessions with him, or when they 'accidentally' attacked him - kind of like what Ray was about to do.

Ranma stopped in his tracks, a bolt of electricity suddenly appearing where he would have been a second later. Looking in the direction the bolt had originated from showed Ray, who was trying - rather unsuccessfully - to look innocent of launching a sneak attack. Shaking his head in disappointment, Ranma continued on his way, ignoring Ray's half-hearted attempts to proclaim his innocence.

'Needs ta work on his accuracy,' Ranma thought to himself. All of the new students with projectile attacks needed major work on actually hitting their targets. But his job was only to instruct them in physical combat, which, at the moment, didn't include weapons; it was up to Jean and Scott to teach them how to effectively use their powers, and apparently they hadn't gotten to target practice yet.

Entering the kitchen, Ranma gave a distracted greeting to Logan, who was sitting at the table, eating a sandwich and reading the paper. Making his way towards the cupboards, he rubbed his palms in anticipation. "Time for the world's most perfect sandwich..."

Seconds later, bread, mustard, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, four different sliced meats and two types of cheese were scattered about the countertop island. On a plate in the centre were the beginnings of a sandwich, and Ranma himself was currently digging through the refrigerator, muttering with an increasing amount of aggravation.

"Dammit," He muttered, pulling his head out of the icebox. "Yo, Logan! Where the hell is the provolone that was in here?"

Logan said nothing as he continued to read his newspaper, raising his own sandwich as his only response.

"Figures," Ranma muttered, closing the fridge door. Returning to the countertop, the pigtailed boy sighed in resignation and finished construction of his own sandwich. Putting away the various ingredients, Ranma grabbed a can of Coke and took a seat at the table across from Logan.

"Ya had ta take the last of that provolone, didn't ya?" He asked the older mutant, giving him a brief glare as he prepared to bite into his slightly-less-than-perfect sandwich.

"'Fraid so," Logan replied, his eyes still locked on the paper. "How ya doin', pigtail?"

"I'm alright," Ranma replied evasively, hoping to steer clear of where this questioning was probably gonna lead. "School was 'bout the same as usual, I guess."

"That ain't exactly what I was talkin' about."

"I don't know what else ya coulda meant."

"Yeah ya do," Logan replied, folding the page over and starting at the top of the other side. "Yer ignorin' what happened last night, aren't ya?"

"What business is it of yours?" Ranma frowned, narrowing his eyes.

"None whatsoever," Logan admitted.

"Then stay out of it, old man," Ranma snapped, giving the older mutant a glare. "It's my problem, and I'll deal with it when I feel like dealin' with it!"

"Don't fly off the handle, pigtail. I only bring it up 'cause it's obvious yer in some kinda funk over it." He finally broke his gaze away from the newspaper, looking Ranma in the eye and cutting off the pigtailed boy before he could respond. "I ain't gonna do anythin' about it. I think the whole thing is bullshit, and yer a moron for lettin' it bug ya like this, but it's somethin' ya gotta get over on yer own."

"So..." Ranma said after a moment, raising an eyebrow. "Ya ain't gonna try and make me talk it out with ya or nothin'?" His tone indicated that that would be a very bad idea.

"Why the hell would I do that?" Logan asked gruffly, shooting the boy an incredulous look. "I just toldja that ya gotta get through it yourself. I'll be honest," He continued, folding the paper in half again. "I thought about tryin' to beat the fact of it inta ya, but there's a small problem with that idea-"

"Aside from the fact that I could kick yer ass easily?" Ranma interrupted.

"Two small problems with that idea," Logan corrected, giving the boy a wry look. "The one ya just mentioned, and because this is something no one but you yourself can help ya get over. I could go on and on, givin' ya plenty of reasons as to why your martial arts skill ain't the result of your power, but ya wouldn't believe me."

"Probably not," Ranma admitted. "Okay, I get what yer sayin', but I ain't completely sure why yer sayin' it, if ya think it won't do any good. Or why ya think I care."

"My point," Logan answered in a slight growl that had more to do with how lame Family Circus was than with any real annoyance with Ranma. "Is that while you have to take the time to figure this out for yerself, don't let it get ya too depressed. You have duties around here, remember, and ya can't let some stupid bad mood get in the way of that.

"It's your job to train these kids in self-defence," Logan continued, driving the point home, "and none of us want ya gettin' all mopey and doin' a half-assed job."

Ranma nodded, processing Logan's words and unfortunately finding little to disagree with.

"You get me?" The Canadian asked.

"Yeah," Ranma answered, finishing off the last of his sandwich. "I get ya."

"Good," Logan said simply. "Just keep what I said in mind. And get over this little mental sulk-fest fast, pigtail - the others might not notice it as easily as I do, but lemme tell ya; the depression thing?" Logan broke off for a moment, shaking his head. "It ain't workin' for ya."

"Right," Ranma snorted. "That all, old man?"

"Pretty much," Logan replied, ignoring the 'old man' comment. Almost as an afterthought, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two envelopes. "Oh, right. Almost forgot," he added, giving the papers a quick glance before handing them to the boy.

"Hmm?" Ranma inquired, taking the envelopes and looking them over. "Ah, right. Last Tuesday of the month... who's the other one for?"

"Rahne," Logan answered, flipping to the last page of the comics section of the paper. "She's outside, I think."

Ranma nodded and said nothing, pocketing both envelopes and heading for the nearest door to the backyard. He almost jumped in surprise a few seconds later when Logan suddenly burst out laughing behind him.

"Bwhahahahahaha!! Oh, Garfield... yer such a lazy kitty..."

Ranma shuddered and quickened his pace.

* * *

Rahne loved to run.

She loved the feel of all four paws striking against the grass as she developed a steady beat. She loved the sensations caused by the air as it whipped through her copper-tinted fur. She loved the exhilaration of working every muscle in her body as she reached her top speed and the sense of utter peace she felt upon reaching it. And she especially loved how the mansion had a massive backyard - field, really - in which she could enjoy herself.

Even before her mutation had come into effect, Rahne had enjoyed the feeling of losing herself in the exercise. Along with her martial arts, it was a great way to keep in shape and build her confidence. She preferred to meditate while running, the repetitive motion bringing her into a perfect Zen state of mind every time; the lycanthrope felt none of her worries or fears while running, like she was moving far too fast for any of them to catch up with her. It was cathartic in more ways than Rahne could count, but most importantly, it was fun.

Rahne wasn't running for any of those reasons this time; she was simply running for the sake of it. Weaving through the trees on the estate's small forest brought to mind running through the woodlands of her homeland. She sometimes missed Scotland, but she was enjoying herself here at the Institute; she had made many new friends, and was learning at the feet of the most skilled martial artist she had ever encountered.

That wasn't quite accurate, Rahne realized; if wolves could frown, she would have done so at that moment. She was learning how to teach, yes, and was glad to learn such an important skill, but she could tell her mentor had so much more he could teach her about actual combat. So much more she wanted to learn, for the sake of learning - as well as the sake of merely spending time with him. Preferably with his shirt off while he guided her through new forms, watching the sweat glisten as it rolled down his washboard abs while they sparred, feeling his arms wrap-

Rahne let out a yelp as she just managed to avoid running into a tree. 'Mental note,' she told herself, 'no fantasies 'bout Mr. Ranma when yuir in the middle of runnin', girl.'

Blocking out all extraneous thought, Rahne lost herself in the motion and pure feeling of the run. Her consciousness and senses slowly began to expand as she approached the Zen state, feeling herself become one with the world around her. Her mind went clear, and Rahne Sinclair felt an almost orgasmic sensation.

She couldn't feel the fatigue begin to enter into her muscles, although somewhere in her consciousness she knew it had to be happening; she'd been running for quite a while now. Rahne's wolf-body was on autopilot as it took the next turn at a sharp angle, putting her in the right direction to return to the mansion. She would have to stop soon, but she wanted to hold onto this feeling for as long as she could.

Having lost herself completely in the rhythm, Rahne almost didn't notice she was running straight towards her pigtailed pack alpha. Unable to slow down fast enough, the lycanthrope made a sharp turn just in time to avoid him; Ranma seemed undisturbed, watching her calmly as her path now led her towards a large tree.

Her speed having diminished enough at this point, Rahne leapt straight towards the tree. Spinning in mid-air, she flipped the mental 'switch' just as her back paws pressed against the bark. Her form shifted as she launched herself off the tree and into the air - her form elongating and limbs filling out, paws stretching into slim fingers as her coppery fur seemed to suck back into her skin, her muzzle shrinking into a pair of soft pink lips.

These changes were all mostly unnoticeable, of course, as she was making multiple flips and spins as she sailed through the air with ease. Landing a few feet away from Ranma, Rahne gave him a bright smile and bounced briefly on her toes. In human form now, she was dressed in her usual workout clothes - a tight green half-shirt and a pair of form-fitting black bicycle shorts.

"Good afternoon," She greeted, giving him a casual wave.

"Nice aerials," Ranma replied, smiling back. "How was your run?"

"'Twas nice," Rahne answered, holding her hand behind her back and thrusting out her chest. She held back a frown as she cast a quick glance down to her chest, wishing she was more fully developed. "I was 'bout to get a wee bit o' trainin' in."

"Cool," Ranma said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a plain white envelope. "Here, this one's fer you."

Rahne raised an eyebrow as she accepted it. Opening it quickly, she found a single rectangular piece of paper. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was. "I'm gettin' paid?"

"You are my teachin' assistant," Ranma reminded her. "Technically, that makes ya one of the staff here. It ain't much, only slightly more than the allowance the others get for doin' chores 'n stuff, but ya don't gotta clean anythin' to earn it." He gave her a wink. "Jus' don't tell the others, got it?"

"Aye," Rahne replied dazedly as she folded up the check; two hundred dollars wasn't a lot, but it was two hundred bucks more per month that she thought she'd be getting. She was in the process of putting it away when she realized her training outfit had no pockets. Flushing a deep red, she spun around briefly and slipped it into her sports bra. "So," she asked shyly, trying to force her blush to fade. "I was wonderin', Ranma, if maybe ye wanted ta spar with me?"

"Maybe another time," the pigtailed boy answered after a moment's thought. "I have ta give Kurt his private session tonight."

"Well, how 'bout t'morrow?"

"Tomorrow night is Kit's session." Ranma replied. The older students had progressed to the point where group sessions would no longer do them much good individually, and so Ranma had set aside one day of personal training a week for all of them. This provided the benefit of being able to give them each personalized lessons, with the downside of only having them once a week.

Seeing the dejected look on the Scottish girl's face, Ranma sighed. "If ya really wanna," he told her, "There's no session on Friday. We can have a good fight then, kay?"

Rahne's expression brightened immediately, and the young girl couldn't help herself as she launched forward and grabbed him in a tight hug. Releasing him almost immediately, Rahne blushed again and ran away, shifting into her wolf form along the way.

Ranma blinked and rubbed the back of his head in confusion. Was a simple sparring session that much to get excited about?

* * *

"...and she said that was all she remembered." Scott finished his story of what had occurred at lunch earlier that day.

"I see," Xavier murmured, taking it all in. The pair were in the library, at Scott's request for privacy "So Ms. Frost appears to have no memory of the fire or of Sage's attack, but she does not have the memories I attempted to implant either..."

"All she said she remembers is the colour of my shades," Scott repeated.

"I had almost forgotten about the small problem I had encountered in Ms. Frost's mind," Xavier continued, "especially after the debacle in Principal Kelly's. There is nothing to worry about, Scott." He told the boy gently. "Her mental defences were simply too strong, especially after I had already expended so much energy on everyone else. All I could do was erase what happened."

"So there's no chance of her remembering anything else?" Scott asked, although his mind was on another aspect of the event entirely.

"A very, very slim one," The telepathic professor replied. "Apparently, I wasn't quite as thorough as I thought, and she remembered one relatively minor thing."

"Yeah," Scott said, running his fingers through his hair. "And now she's obsessing over that one minor thing, and me."

Xavier chuckled and headed towards the door. "I don't think it's an obsession, Scott. I think perhaps the young lady may simply be using the memory of your shades as an excuse to get to know you better." He shot the boy a wink over his shoulder. "She's quite an attractive young woman, if I remember correctly; perhaps you should take her up on her offer."

"Maybe," Scott agreed, although he knew Xavier was no longer in the room. Emma's offer - as well as Emma herself - was very tempting, and hadn't he been thinking just the other day that maybe it was time to make an attempt to meet someone new?

"She did say she'd pay," He said to himself as he stood up, following the professor out of the library. "So why the hell not?"

* * *

Perched on the railing of the balcony just outside his room, Ranma stared up at the night sky. He was reminded of the previous night; the sky was as clear and breathtaking as it had been then, and like before, it was threatening to make him drift off into introspection.

Ranma hated introspection, and especially hated how often he'd been doing it lately.

"Hey," A familiar and welcome voice greeted him from behind. Ranma turned his head and smiled in response.

"Hey."

Rogue leaned forward, resting her arms on the railing and placing her chin upon her folded hands. "So?"

"So... what?" Ranma asked, playing dumb.

"Ya had all day ta think 'bout it," Rogue answered softly. "Are ya ready ta talk yet?"

Ranma took a deep breath, considering his answer. In actuality, he'd spent nearly the entire day trying to avoid thinking about it, as if some part of him believed that by ignoring it, it would just go away. The rest of him knew that idea was completely illogical, of course, but agreed to go along with it on the off-chance it might be successful. And it had been, for the most part, except for the errant comments people made during the day that had the effect of forcefully snapping his mind back to the matter of his mutant abilities.

He knew why he'd believed Sage as easily as he had, and it wasn't the logical reasons she had given him, although they had helped. It was the strong feeling in his gut, the purely instinctual feeling that Sage was telling the truth that had convinced him. As such, he hadn't bothered wondering incessantly over whether or not it was true, and had instead focused on what exactly it meant. And he didn't like the conclusions he'd managed to reach.

"I hate my powers," he said finally.

Rogue snorted. "Welcome ta the club."

"I liked 'em so much better when it was just the nullification," Ranma continued, reaching a hand down to softly caress Rogue's cheek. The southern girl smiled, enjoying the contact of his skin against hers. "For obvious reasons. I don't like this new ability, even if it did apparently make me stronger faster than I woulda gotten normally."

"But I don't know what I'm gonna do about this new power," he added, jumping down from the railing and taking the spot right next to the girl, slipping an arm around her waist. Rogue said nothing; merely enjoying both his touch and the fact that he was comfortable enough to be open with her. "I gotta do somethin', I know that, but nothin' is comin' ta mind."

"Sage coulda been lyin'," Rogue offered. "Or even jus' tellin' a partial truth. Maybe yer powers actually have nothin' ta do with yer skill, and it only affects yer body?"

"Maybe," Ranma agreed tentatively.

"So... what are ya gonna do 'bout?" Rogue asked.

"I ain't got no idea," Ranma admitted. "All I can do, 'til I know more, is deal with it. Keep up my trainin' and everyone else's, and maybe some great revelation will occur that explains everythin'." He snorted, showing what he actually thought of that idea.

Rogue snorted as well. "So," she summarized, "Yer gonna deal with it... by not dealin' with it?"

"Not at all," Ranma replied, giving her a grin. "I'm pullin' back and observin' the situation until I got all the facts I need ta make a proper decision."

"And how long is that gonna take ya?"

"Hell if I know," Ranma shrugged. "Sage said she'd be back, so maybe I'll wait fer her ta show up and beat the whole truth outta her."

"Ya got a knack fer plans," Rogue teased, leaning closer into him. "Still, Ah'm glad ta see yer feelin' bettah about it all."

"Like I said," Ranma replied, letting his fingers wander along her side and making her squirm in a very amusing manner. "I ain't good at depression."

"That's the truth," Rogue agreed, laughing as she squirmed to avoid his tickling and letting out a shriek as he started using both hands. Struggling to get away amidst her increasing laughter, Rogue fell to the ground, her leg hooking behind his and bringing him down with her.

Twisting at just the right moment, the southern girl managed to take the dominant position, pinning the boy's wrists against the floor. "Give up?" She asked as he made a half-hearted attempt to escape; she knew he could easily break her hold, but where would the fun be in that?

A loud 'BAMF!' and a puff of smoke announced Kurt's sudden arrival on the banister. In his hands was a large bucket of popcorn, and his tail was twitching excitedly.

"Ranma!" He exclaimed, "Rogue! Ve found the tape of Logan pretending to be on... American... Idol..." He trailed off as he saw the position his half-brother and the girl were in, the latter of whom was levelling a fierce glare in his direction. He let out an embarrassed chuckle and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry 'bout this," he murmured, porting away in another puff of smoke.

* * *

"Hmmm..." Ryoga muttered to himself as his eyes skimmed over the map in his hands, attempting to take in every detail about it. "Maybe I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque... or was that Madrid? No, weren't any polar bears, had to be Albuquerque."

Standing in a the middle of a crossroads, covered in the dust of the dirt road behind him - not that he could tell which direction he'd come from - Ryoga was forced to admit that maybe he needed some directions. Or maybe a guide dog.

That wasn't a bad idea, Ryoga realized; maybe he should try and find his home and take Shirokuro along with him. Not only would he get less... off-track on occasion, but he would also be a lot less lonely. And the dog could help take care of him, too; with how often the pooch was alone, it had learned to care for itself better than most members of the Hibiki family.

Thinking of Shirokuro made him think of Akane, and of the time she had come over to see the puppies the half-black, half-white dog had given birth to. If only Ranma hadn't shown up and pretended to be his sister. Ryoga fell into a fantasy of what could have happened...

_"Oh, Ryoga-kun," Fantasy Akane said, as she played with one of the puppies. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at the bandana-clad boy, adoration shining in her perfect features. "Playing with these adorable puppies with you has caused me to realize how wonderful you really are, and how much of an honourless, perverted, cheating, bread-stealing coward Ranma is." She tittered and sighed, love literally radiating from her. _

_Fantasy Ryoga grinned widely at Fantasy Akane, lighting up the room with his perfect smile. "Yes, my dear," he agreed, his voice a strong and manly baritone. "And now that I have finally defeated him, while he was in the act of trying to submerge these innocent puppies in Spring of Drowned Harem Slave Girl water from Jusenkyo, we shall never have to worry about him ruining our happiness or stealing our hard-earned and deserved bread ever again."_

_In the background, a half-dead Fantasy Ranma, looking incredibly weak and apparently going prematurely bald, was sobbing like a little girl from his place in a cage made out of cardboard. "Oh, I wish I was as strong and smart as Ryoga..." he whined piteously, tugging in vain on his cardboard prison. "Then I might be powerful enough to escape. I'm too weak though... I'll never be as good as him."_

_"Oh Ryoga," Fantasy Akane continued, clutching her hands together under her chin as she stared up at him in utter devotion. Her normal clothes had suddenly changed into a sheer lace teddy, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. "I love you so much; the only way I could love you more is if you were cursed to transform into a little black piglet, just like my sweet, darling P-Chan..."_

_"My Sweet Akane," Fantasy Ryoga stated proudly, grabbing a nearby jewel-encrusted goblet filled with water. "Prepare yourself... for perfection!" He poured the water onto himself, and was replaced by a disturbingly muscular black piglet._

_"Oh, Ryoga-kun!" Fantasy Akane cried out "Are you alright, buddy?"_

Ryoga blinked when Akane's sweet, angelic voice suddenly became deep and masculine. Blinking several more times, he realized there was a man standing in front of him, giving him a very strange look. Shaking his head quickly brought Ryoga fully into the real world.

"Sorry," Ryoga apologized, embarrassed at having been caught in a fantasy by someone; at least he hadn't ended up hugging the guy. Last time that happened, he'd been on the run from big hairy bikers for three days. "I kinda spaced out there for a moment."

"It's alright," The other man said dryly. He was a little taller than Ryoga, and almost as solidly built, with a simple white bandana in his hair holding back all but his bangs. He wore a black muscle shirt and a pair of camouflage-patterned combat pants. His hands were covered by a pair of short black gloves with thin metal plates on the fingers, and he wore a pair of large black boots on his feet. The pack he carried with him was almost as large as Ryoga's own, and clued the Lost Boy into the fact that this man was a traveller like him. "I was wondering if I could borrow your map for a moment," The boy concluded.

"Huh?" Ryoga replied intelligently, and then remembered he had been consulting a map before he'd drifted away from reality. "Oh, sure. Maybe you can actually make some use out of it." He handed the map over to the boy, adding. "It hasn't done me any good."

The boy accepted the map silently, looking it over for a few second before turning it right-side up. A few more minutes passed before the boy spoke again. "Here's your problem," he said, pointing to the map as he handed it back. "This is a map of Paraguay."

Ryoga blinked. "This isn't Paraguay?"

"Nope," The boy answered, giving Ryoga an odd look. "This is Japan."

"Oh!" Ryoga exclaimed, dropping his pack on the ground and opening up the main compartment. The other boy eyed the crater it made when it landed, but did not comment on it. "I have a map of Japan in here somewhere," Ryoga said, digging through the contents, numerous maps, atlases and even a globe falling out over the side.

"It's not necessary," The other boy said with a sigh, dropping his own pack to the ground; Ryoga didn't noticed that it made a smaller crater than his own had. "I actually have one of my own." He opened the top and began digging through it.

"Huh?" Ryoga asked, pulling his head out of the pack. "Then why did you need to use mine?"

"Because," the muffled voice answered as it's owner continued digging. "Mine is at the bottom of this bag, and I was hoping to not have to dig it ou-A-HA!" The boy with the white bandana popped out of his bag, holding a map of the Honshu Island triumphantly in his right hand. "Got it!"

"Where are you headed anyway?" Ryoga asked, sitting up and sifting through the large collection of maps surrounding him.

"Nerima," The boy replied, his attention focused entirely on the map he now had opened and in front of him. "Well, it's been fun, but I can't stay and chat. I'm on a bit of a deadline."

"Gotcha," Ryoga answered, shoving a handful of maps into the bag. It'd be nice to go to Nerima again, if only to see Akane, but he knew better than to ask to tag along; he'd only end up getting the both of them lost, not to mention he'd never liked having travelling companions in the first place. The road was his place, and he did not like sharing his time on it with anyone.

"See ya around," The boy called out over his shoulder. Within a few minutes, he had disappeared down the road; the small amount of dust kicked up into the air the only sign of his passage.

Ryoga quietly continued to put his various maps away, keeping the one of Japan out with him; now that he knew again where he was, he could attempt to get back on track. The challenge letter he'd sent Ranma had specified the date of the duel to be within the next month, and he wanted to reach Xavier's as close to within that timeframe as he could. He'd been training hard lately, and was certain he could beat his pigtailed rival in a fair fight.

"What the?" Ryoga's thoughts were put on hold as his hand clasped around cylindrical object. That was odd, he didn't remember having any scrolls with him before. "Huh... that guy musta dropped it..."

Looking it over, he found himself rather unimpressed with the simple white casing the scroll resided in. Shrugging, Ryoga popped it open and removed the item within; maybe it had the guy's name on it or something. Unrolling the scroll, he gave it a quick look over.

"Yama-sen-ken?" He muttered to himself. Looking closer, he started reading. His lips pulled back into a malicious grin as he read the descriptions of the techniques, and a low chuckle rose in his throat as he read the effects.

His mind quickly processed those same results with the addition of the ki reserves his x-gene granted him, and his chuckle broke out into full-blown diabolical laughter.

Oh yes... once he mastered this, Ranma would have no chance in hell.

* * *

End Chapter Fourteen

* * *

Author's Notes: Lemme see... not much to say, really. This chapter contained a bit less action than the previous one, and I hesitate to say some might even call it 'filler'. Remember, though, kids, what some see as filler is actually well-disguised storyline progression and character development...

There were a lot of introductions in this chapter, I have just realized...

Yes, that was Ryu Kumon in the last scene - hey, I can't introduce to the Sen Kens without bringing in Ryu, can I? There was originally going to be a fight between him and Ryoga, but I decided I didn't want Ryoga getting his ass kicked again.

Thaliá is a character of my own creation. What she's doing in the mental institute with Wanda and what her connection to Xavier is will be revealed in the future, around the middle of season two. The mention of Wanda's 'pages' was some truly evil foreshadowing on my part, as that mystery won't be revealed until the end of the season. I ask that anyone who has a guess keep it to themselves, for the risk that they might accidentally figure it out and thus ruin the surprise for other people. Although seriously, no one's gonna see this coming.

The next chapter will take place during the episode 'Bada-Bing, Bada-Boom'.

As always, please review - I love reviews, good and bad. If you must criticize, make it constructive. I try to respond to every review I get, but sometimes I miss a few; I apologize to anyone whom I overlook in my responses.


	15. Chapter 15, Part One

_Last time, on Evolution One Half..._

"Vhat do you mean 'cut ze blue vire'?" Kurt demanded into the com-link, his voice on the edge of panic as he watched the timer tick down into the last ten seconds. "Zey are ALL blue vires!"

* * *

**Evolution 1/2  
**

* * *

Disclaimer: Despite being a recovering kleptomaniac, I assure all reading this that I am not stealing the series involved in this work of fanfiction. Both X-Men: Evolution and Ranma 1/2 belong to their respective owners, although all original characters belong to me, Me, ME!

Special note: A few months ago, Evolution One Half turned one year old. Unfortunately, this chapter was not ready yet. Thus, the one year anniversary celebration has been postponed until right now. This chapter isn't long, it's merely a one year anniversary edition, with limited edition 3D holographic cover and signed lithograph. Your special anniversary 3D goggles are in the mail, postage due. Offer void in Utah.

Second note: Turns out the chapter was too long to post as a whole. Apparently, 38,000 words is too much for this site to handle, so I am being forced to reluctantly split it into two parts. This, obviously, is Part One. Read, enjoy and review, please!

* * *

Chapter Fifteen - Part One

* * *

Humming softly, Kasumi carefully and quietly browsed through the shelves of the Tokyo University General Library. Her eyes were wide and intoxicated as she took in the multitude of titles and subjects literally at her fingertips, yet so far beyond her grasp. Kasumi wasn't a student at the University and had only a one-day pass to be in here, and even then she was limited in what she could look at - and she could take none of them home.

Kasumi's meeting with Kawabata-sensei had, only hours before it was supposed to happen, changed from his office, to the office of the woman he wanted her to meet. Reiko Watanabe was a recent addition to the physics department of Tokyo University; Kasumi didn't know exactly why Kawabata-sensei wanted the two of them to meet, but she loved meeting new people, so she didn't mind at all. She absently wondered if it had anything to do with all the tests her Physics instructor had been giving her all week, but her thoughts on that were quickly derailed when she spotted a copy of Advanced Cellular Biophysics vol 3 mixed in with the English-language copies of Winnie the Pooh.

Holding back a squeal of joy, Kasumi quickly snatched the book off the shelf - along with _Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore_ - and practically skipped towards the nearest table. She might not be able to check anything out, but she could read to her hearts content for the ninety-seven minutes she had before the meeting. Upon reaching the table, Kasumi's happiness escalated to new levels when she discovered that a book on cooking with chocolate had been left behind by a previous visitor.

Taking a seat, she took a moment to smooth out the wrinkles in her jeans, then flipped her books open and began simultaneously reading all three.

The eldest Tendo daughter had just finished the children's book when she had noticed a small mistake in the Biophysics text. She had already pulled out her pen and clicked the top before realizing what she was doing; with great reluctance, Kasumi stopped herself. This wasn't her book, so it wouldn't be proper for her to write in it. A small frown fell over Kasumi's features; if it was left it as it was, some poor student may make a mistake and get a lower grade on an important test. Pulling a small pad of Post-Its out of her purse, Kasumi quickly scribbled down the correct information, as well as a brief explanation and stuck it to the page.

Satisfied that she had done the best she could to help future readers out, Kasumi smiled to herself and glanced up at the clock. Seeing she had only a few minutes before she had to leave for her meeting, the young woman quickly finished the chapter and - with a sigh of disappointment - returned the three books to the shelves. With even more reluctance, Kasumi packed up her things and exited the library.

Making her way across the large campus, Kasumi beamed, enjoying the bright and warm sunshine and quietly taking in the feeling of a real college environment; her community college was nice, but she was beginning to wonder if she was really being challenged by its curriculum. She'd been finishing her assignments and tests with increasing expediency, and the material her instructors were now covering was stuff she had read on her own weeks ago. Kasumi wasn't sure exactly where she wanted to go yet with her education - although the allure of the physical sciences was becoming more and more undeniable - but she did know she needed more than her current school was offering.

Kasumi left out a soft sigh as she entered the building Professor Watanabe's office was located in; even if she could get into a school like this one, she knew she wouldn't be able to actually attend. Her family was the most important part of her life, and even though her father had finally come out of his grief and started teaching again, they still needed her. Not to mention they'd never be able to afford it, and Kasumi was certain she wouldn't be able to get any kind of scholarship.

Arriving at her destination, Kasumi greeted the secretary at the desk outside of Watanabe's office with a smile. "Hello, I have an appointme-"

"Kasumi Tendo?" The secretary asked, not looking up from her typing.

"Why, yes, I-"

"Please step inside the office," The woman interrupted again, her monotone voice somehow harmonizing with the click-clack-click of her fingers hitting the keys. "Professor Watanabe and Kawabata-sensei should be back within a few minutes. Help yourself to some tea, if you like."

Blinking, Kasumi thanked the woman and did as told, stepping through the unlocked door and into the office. Her breath caught in her throat as she viewed the interior, and her eyes swam with desire as she took it all in. "Oh, my..." she whispered softly.

The office was moderately- sized, indicating Professor Watanabe's high standing within the university - which was especially impressive, considering both her age, her gender, and her short time as a teacher. A large window dominated the far wall, and likely would have provided a splendid view of the courtyard outside had the shutters not been closed. In front of the window was a large oak desk with papers scattered about the surface, and a large red leather office chair. On the other side of the desk were a pair of black armchairs, and in between the two was a smaller table, on which rested a plain manila folder.

These things were all secondary, though, in Kasumi's eyes, compared to the massive amount of books the shelves on each wall held. While the professor's personal collection was nothing compared to the library Kasumi had just been in, the sheer number of volumes - as well as the titles she was able to see - were enough to bring the young woman to a state of mental ecstasy. She only hoped Professor Watanabe would be willing to let her borrow a few of them.

Tearing her eyes away from the texts took a great deal of effort, but when she did, Kasumi noticed an small sink and stove in the corner. The shelves above it contained a set of simple teacups and tea-making supplies, and on the burner was a plain white teapot. Smiling at the thought of greeting her hosts with a pot of fresh tea, Kasumi moved to the stove to prepare some. Filling the pot with fresh water and placing it on the burner, the eldest Tendo daughter turned her eye towards the selection of tea the professor had on hand. Finding every option store-bought and substandard - not that she'd ever say such a terribly rude thing aloud - she pulled a small packet containing one of her personal blends from her purse.

Selecting a medium-sized volume from the shelves at random - noting in the back of her mind that it had something to with optical physics - Kasumi took a seat in one of the two armchairs while she waited for the water to heat. Before she could read more than a few sentences, however, she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. Looking over at the small table next to her, she spotted a corner of a sheet of paper sticking out from the manila folder resting on top of it; on that corner she could see her own name, clearly written in her own handwriting.

Her curiosity peaked, Kasumi picked up the folder and flipped it open; inside, she found the various tests Kawabata-sensei had given her a few days ago. Paging through, she saw that she'd gotten perfect scores on all of them - which, while a pleasant surprise, was rather uninteresting overall. She was about to set it back down when she noticed a second folder that had been underneath the first. Assuming it held similar items - Kasumi was guessing now that this meeting had to do with her academic performance, so it made sense that Kawabata-sensei had brought such materials - the young woman picked it up.

The contents of this second folder, however, were completely different. Right away, Kasumi could tell they were not papers she had written or assignments she had completed; from what she could tell, they looked to be a set of very complicated blueprints and equations relating to it.

Normally, she would have set down the folder and put the incident out of her mind - it wasn't hers, and it was highly improper to look at other people's property without their permission. However, something within the young woman urged her to keep reading through the designs, to take in all the equations and information relating to it. An image began to form in her mind, and a small frown crossed over her face; there were some small errors in the mathematics and unnecessary elements in the design itself. The mistake were small, almost microscopic, but If left the way it was, the device would never work...

Without realizing she was even doing it, Kasumi pulled out her pen and clicked the top.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Reiko, this girl is absolutely brilliant! Beyond anything I've ever seen!" Minoru Kawabata excitedly told the woman walking alongside him.

"As you've told me numerous times," His companion replied drily. Professor Reiko Watanabe was a young woman of twenty-three, with bluish-black hair that brushed against her shoulders. She was of average height and with a more than above-average appearance - and when she cared enough to truly maintain it, which wasn't often, she could be downright gorgeous. A simple red blouse and knee-length black skirt covered her lean and trim figure, with transparent stockings and a pair of red pumps completing the ensemble.

Despite the svelte and enchanting image she presented, in truth Reiko was known far more for her incredible accomplishments and her even more incredible mind. A college valedictorian - graduating _summa cum laude_ - by age fourteen, acquiring four master's degrees by seventeen, and obtaining a trio of doctorates just before her nineteenth birthday, Minoru was understandably jealous of his younger colleague. She had everything he'd always wanted, and had managed to obtain it all in less than half the time. Her teaching position here at Tokyo University - which Minoru would have killed for - had been accepted on a whim, purely to see if she could teach and to give her access to the college's labs for her own experiments.

"I don't think you truly understand," Minoru continued, pushing back the thoughts of envy he had towards his friend in order to focus on the more important matter at hand.

"I think I do, Minoru," Reiko countered as the pair turned the corner that led to her office. "I saw the results of the three IQ tests, the physics exams, and the entrance exam for this very college. I even read through all seventeen essays."

"She finished them all with an average time of seven and a half minutes, and got perfect scores on all of them! Hell, she corrected one of the tests in four places!"

"Yes," Reiko agreed. "She does appear to be very gifted, and I do look forward to meeting her." She gave him a sideways glance. "I'm just not certain what you think I can do for the young lady."

"Her talents are wasted at the Greater Nerima Technical Institute," Minoru told her somewhat begrudgingly; he didn't like admitting the school he taught at wasn't capable of handling someone of Kasumi Tendo's intelligence. "She would be much better off at a school like this one. There will be so many more paths open to her if she were to graduate from here than if she were to complete the program at my school." He paused, then added what he knew would get her attention if nothing else would. "And someone like you, a fellow prodigy, would be the best person to help her along."

"While that is an excellent point, and completely true," Reiko answered, preening for a moment at the recognition of her brilliance. "I'm afraid I must tell you I may not be here much longer; I've been getting several offers for high-level research positions lately, and I'm considering taking one of them."

Minoru blinked, momentarily stunned. "What?" He managed to ask, giving her a look stating that he plainly thought she was crazy. "Why? You've only been here a year!"

"An overwhelmingly boring year," The professor replied, ignoring the look; it wasn't the first time she'd seen it and other envious expressions on the man's face. She knew she shouldn't flaunt her success, but it was a bad habit she'd never been able to break. "And ignoring the fact that the head of the department won't quit trying to get under my skirt, I'm just not getting the thrill from teaching that I thought I would. One of the offers is from my alma mater, in research and development of experimental technologies. I have to admit, it is very tempting, and I do so miss working with my hands."

The other teacher nodded as they reached Reiko's office, seeing her point even if he could not completely agree with it. Minoru wouldn't give up a position at Tokyo U for anything in the world, but he knew Reiko's ambitions were far loftier than his own.

"Good afternoon, Sanae," Reiko greeted her secretary, accepting some papers the older woman handed to her. Paging through the notes and notices - and deeming them all completely unimportant to her - Reiko set them back down on Sanae's desk. "Any calls while I was out?"

"No, Ms. Watanabe," Sanae answered. "Miss Tendo arrived. She's waiting in your office."

"Thank you, Sanae," said Reiko. "Has she been waiting long?"

"Only about ten minutes or so, I think."

Reiko clicked her tongue. "She was early," she told her companion. "I like that. Well, shall we?"

Without waiting for his answer, Reiko opened the door and stepped inside, Minoru following behind. Inside, Reiko saw a pretty girl a few years younger than her, sitting in one of the chairs and scribbling furiously on something out of her view.

Reiko cleared her throat to get the girl's attention, and then a second time when the first attempt had no effect. "Miss Tendo," she added, her words finally reaching the girl.

Kasumi's head shot up as she suddenly realized she was no longer alone. "Oh, my," she said, standing up and giving Reiko a polite bow. "I'm sorry, Professor Watanabe," she apologized. "I was a little distracted."

"It's all right," Reiko brushed aside the apology, giving the younger woman a smile and bow in response. Glimpsing the papers in Kasumi's hand, her eyes went wide and the smile deserted her face. THAT was what she'd been scribbling on!? Reiko's face quickly twisted into a mask of rage.

"WHAT do you THINK you are DOING?!" She snarled, violently tearing the papers out of the girl's hands. "These are VERY important, and very PRIVATE! WHAT made you THINK you had the right to go through something that was obviously NOT yours?"

"Reiko," Minoru attempted to interject and diffuse the situation. "Please, calm down. I'm sure there's a reasonable-"

"Shut it, Minoru!" Reiko growled at the man. "I will NOT calm down. I want to know what kind of excuse this... GIRL has for what she has done!"

"I-I'm sorry, Professor Watanabe," Kasumi replied nervously, glancing at the sheets clutched in the other woman's hand. Why had she gone through them - more importantly, why had she continued to look at them even after she realized they had nothing to do with her? "I didn't... I didn't even realize I was doing it until-" A loud, high-pitched whistling suddenly cut her off, and Kasumi's thoughts were completely derailed. "Oh, the tea!"

"Tea?" Reiko exclaimed incredulously. "TEA?! Of what importance is tea? Stick to the issue at hand: WHY did you VANDALIZE my - are you even listening to me?!"

"One moment, please," Kasumi told her as she moved the pot off the heat and began preparing three cups. "The timing is key."

Reiko's jaw dropped open, both at the absurdity of someone putting a hold on her rant in order to make tea, and because she was too angry for words to properly form. Taking advantage of the brief lull to properly organize her thoughts so she could unleash a completely coherent stream of fury at the girl, Reiko checked the damage she had done. She'd had only a few moments to look over them when they had arrived that morning, but it had been more than enough time for her to memorize them all. Every free minute - of which there were sadly too few - she'd had during the day had been spent working out the answers.

Reading through the numerous sheets of calculations first, her anger quickly evaporated into surprise. This girl had not only finished the math, but had corrected and reworked the base formulas as well? Some of the most gifted physicists and mathematicians at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, her alma mater, had spent years developing the formulas and theories by which the prototype would operate. It was impossible that in only ten minutes, some random girl had not only answered them on her own, but had actually reworked the formulas and eliminated previously unseen - and admittedly unnecessary - steps.

Rapidly flipping through the sheets, she saw it was the same on each one - everything corrected and reformulated. Reiko's jaw dropped again as she looked over the blueprints - Kasumi had done it to those as well! Designs that had spent two years in development and still hadn't been perfected, had been both finished and reworked. Combining the calculations with the blueprints of the Diagnostic Optics System in her mind, as well as the information she had that wasn't represented on any of the papers... Reiko's pride had a hard time admitting the results.

Taking a deep breath, Reiko absorbed all the information she now had; it was flawless, that she was absolutely certain of. Kasumi has done exactly what Reiko herself would have done, had she gotten to the designs first. She began to wonder if she should thank the Tendo girl, continue to yell at her for stealing her work, or a combination of the two.

"It's ready!" Kasumi declared cheerfully, taking two cups and handing one to Reiko and the other to Minoru. Taking her own in hand, Kasumi took a long sip and sighed contentedly; hopefully, the tea would help Ms. Reiko calm down so that they could discuss this peaceably. She hadn't meant any harm, and she was certain when the older woman realized this, they could make a fresh start; Kasumi had a feeling if they could, the two of them would become fast friends.

In a daze, Reiko took a sip of the tea. Her eyes rolled back as the cacophony of flavours gently caressed her tongue, and she was unable to restrain a soft sigh of pleasure. The tea was incomparable, possibly the best she had ever had; against her will, she felt her anger towards the girl begin to dissipate, and her normal calm returning.

Reiko sat down behind her desk and set both tea and papers on the wooden surface. Directing her gaze towards Kasumi, who was seated in the chair she had been in when they had arrived. The girl smiled back pleasantly, and aside from a touch of anxiousness around her eyes, she acted as if Reiko's eruption minutes prior had never even occurred. Minoru sat next to her, his demeanor nowhere near the calm his student presented, but Reiko paid him no mind.

"All right Ms. Tendo," Reiko said after several minutes, her calm fully reestablished. "I apologize for my earlier outburst. Please, explain from the beginning."

* * *

The sky was painted in a myriad of violet hues as the lingering traces of twilight fought against the coming sunrise with the same futile effort it had put forth since time unimaginable. Seagulls cawed and screeched as they circled over the cliffside beyond the smaller forest on the eastern edge of the Xavier Institute, searching the waters below for any sign of food. Small waves broke gently against the jagged rocks that littered where cliff face met surf, giving the illusion of shallow water where there truly was none.

Halfway up the edge of the bluff, an unmoving male figure lay upon a small outcropping of rock, his legs pinned beneath several boulders. The eyes on his blue furred face were closed, but he was breathing steadily.

Cyclops rappelled down the cliff face, landing with both a strong hold on his rope and feet firmly planted against the vertical rock. "Confirmed," he said into his com-link as he got a closer look at Nightcrawler's prone form. "He's unconscious."

"And starving," Nightcrawler said irritably, his eyes opening and raising his head to give Cyclops a pointed look. "Hurry up and save the fozzy dude, okay? I need my breakfahst." His stomach gave a low rumble, adding credence to his words.

"Quiet!" The older boy shot back. "Tabitha," He continued, this time into the headset, "get on down here with that basket."

"Oh, man," The blue-furred mutant groaned, "Boom Boom? You're trusting my life in the hands of a maniac?!"

Up above, the younger students were in training uniforms - identical dark blue bodysuits with yellow belts, gloves and boots, with red and black X's on the shoulders - and gathered at the edge of the cliff, observing the scene below. The boys were readying the basket, a large yellow stretcher connected to a large motorized winch, at which Magma, Jubilee, and Wolfsbane were standing ready. At the edge of the cliff stood Logan and Tofu, the latter in charge of this particular class; as this was a training exercise, the good doctor was in his rarely-worn uniform, which consisted of a dark blue bodysuit with white boots, white fingerless gloves, and a white belt with multiple compartments for medical supplies. On the shoulders, instead of X's, were a pair of red crosses on a white background, indicating his status as a medic.

Not far from them, seated upon a large rock and swaying her upper body to loud rock music - which could be heard from several feet away, despite the listener wearing a pair of headphones - was Tabitha. The short-haired blonde seemed completely unaware that she was being spoken to until Logan, dressed in uniform but with his mask down, lifted one of the earpieces. "Hey," he growled, "Where's your com-link, kid?"

"Huh?" Tabitha started, having been taken by surprise by the older mutant. "Oh, I grabbed the wrong headphones by mistake," she explained, removing the headset and setting it down on the rock, next to the CD player they were attached to. "My bad," she continued, rising to her feet and giving Logan a grin. "Is it my turn already?"

"Yeah," Logan answered drily, to which Boom Boom merely grinned and gave a quick salute. Walking past the man, she ran a teasing finger under his chin and gave him a playful look; her amused smile grew wider when she saw the wry look he gave in response.

Tabitha sashayed, almost dancing as she made her way to the winch, giving a coy wink to Tofu as she passed him. She was faintly disappointed when the man didn't react, but shrugged it off easily; the was too much fun to be had in life to worry a bout the little things.

"All right Tabitha," Tofu began, but was cut off by the girl's dismissive wave.

"No need, Doc," She told him, giving him a confident smirk and a thumbs-up. "I've been paying attention the whole time, and I know exactly what to do."

"Are you sure?" Tofu asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl. "It's not an easy exercise..."

"Positive," Tabitha answered, giving him an impatient little wave; she'd paid enough attention earlier on, when Roberto had taken his turn, and figured she could remember all the little details and things he'd done. Besides, Roberto had a habit of overdoing everything, so even if she didn't do every bit he'd done, there was still a good chance she'd get it all right. Stepping onto the edge of the basket and grabbing a tight hold of one of the support cables, she gave Amara a thumbs up to indicate she was prepared.

"YEEEEAH!!" She cried out as the basket began descending towards the blue-furred boy; the young blonde's grin was as wild and excited as her yell. Enjoying the thrill of being so close to potential danger, Tabitha decided to increase the excitement and shifted her weight, causing the contraption to spin around in several tight circles. "LOOK OUT BELOW, BOOM BOOM IS BOMBIN' IN! WAHOOOOO!"

"Mein gott, I am going to die," Kurt whimpered to himself, shutting his eyes tightly as the shadow of the descending stretcher. Seconds later, Boom Boom was in position, the platform having stopped exactly level with the outcropping Nightcrawler was on.

"Hey cutie," Tabitha greeted with a smile, leaning in and tapping the boy playfully on the nose.

"Hi," Kurt answered, pushing himself up onto his elbows and giving the girl a questioning look. "I have to ask... are you completely insane?" He unsuccessfully fought back a flush when the blonde girl responded by only caressing his cheek and winking flirtatiously.

"His codename," Cyclops interjected testily, "is 'Nightcrawler'." He directed his gaze towards said mutant, and despite the presence of the visor, Kurt could tell he was being glared at. "And he's UNCONSCIOUS."

"Oh, yeah," Nightcrawler replied, having honestly forgotten; placing his head down, he made an attempt to slip back into his role.

"Well," Tabitha said cheerily, forming a small ball of light yellow energy between the thumb and forefinger of her free hand. "Those rocks aren't helping one bit, so first things first, we better boom 'em apart."

Leaning in towards Kurt again, she placed the miniscule bomb in-between the rocks. Kurt fell out of his unconscious act again, covering his face with his hands as best he could against the - very likely painful - explosion that he knew was coming.

Turning away as her mental countdown for the 'time bomb' neared zero, she grinned widely; this was the best part. "FIRE IN THE HOOOLE!" Boom Boom exclaimed happily, placing her fingers in her ears.

_KABOOM!_ The explosion obliterated the rocks, sending chunks of debris in every direction; it was only pure luck that kept any fragments from striking those closest to the blast.

Kurt visibly sighed in relief, then let out a yelp as Tabitha moved the basket up next to him and used her foot to roll him into it. "And in the basket you go!"

"Hey!" Kurt protested, looking up at the girl. "Don't roll me like some kind of log! I am an injured victim here!"

"Nightcrawler, huh?" Tabitha commented, ignoring the boy's protest. Giving the name a moment's thought, she shook her head decisively. "No, no, that name just isn't working for you, I'm sorry. Woah," she exclaimed, leaning down closer to him, "How about, 'Wild Blue Yonder Boy'?" She punctuated her suggestion with a slow wave of her hand, as if writing the name across the sky.

Kurt laughed, unable to help himself. "You ARE crazy,"

"Okay," Cyclops interrupted, hoping to get the two back on track. "Get the victim topside." Tabitha was the last one who needed to complete this exercise, and he wanted to get some breakfast just as much as Kurt did. It was rare that Ranma would let anyone out of a training session, not to mention an entire class, but Tofu had requested that morning for one of his own infrequent exercises, and Ranma had acquiesced. As far as Scott knew, the pigtailed instructor/student was using the opportunity to get some personal practice in, something that was becoming harder for him to do with all the students he'd wound up with.

"Will do!" Tabitha acknowledged, then yelled in the direction of those on the cliff top. "Yo, Polecat! Tug us up!"

"It's 'Wolverine'," Logan grumbled, raising a hand in the direction of the girls. Seeing the signal, Magma pressed the switch on the motorized winch, and the cable began to retract, bringing the basket and it's occupants along with it.

Smirking as he noticed Tabitha had forgotten a vital part of the exercise, Nightcrawler took the opportunity to mess with the girl a bit. Tilting the basket slightly, he rolled off the side and let himself fall.

Tabitha let out a gasp of fear as the saw the blue-furred boy on a direct collision course with the jagged rocks below. Out of both reflex and the desire to not see someone die, she raised a hand to cover her eyes. She withdrew it just as quickly when she heard a quiet '_BAMF_', accompanied by the reappearance of Kurt in the basket, grinning up at her in teasing triumph.

"Ah-ah-ah! You forgot to strap me in!" The fuzzy young man declared, wagging a finger at her reproachfully. "Minus ten points!"

"Ughh," Scott groaned, shaking his head. "This isn't gonna end good..."

"Oh yeah?" Boom Boom challenged, grinning down at the boy and shifting her weight, causing the basket to swing forth and back. "Well," she continued, forming a time bomb in her hand and throwing it at the cliff face and showering the area with even more rock shards. "Hang on to your blue tail, Yonder Boy!"

Tabitha let out a wild yell as the basket swung like a pendulum in longer and wider arcs, throwing more bombs towards the cliff face. Kurt looked up at the girl, enjoying himself despite the girl's apparent disregard for the safety of others. Ignoring Logan's orders to 'knock it off', the girl shifted her weight again to increase both the angle of the swings and the danger - and therefore, the excitement.

The excitement was short lived, however, as the stretcher swung too close to the cliffside and Kurt's head impacted painfully against the rock. The blue-furred boy fell out of the basket once again, only this time losing consciousness along the way.

Boom Boom began to feel nervous again when Nightcrawler didn't immediately teleport back. "HEY," She yelled at the falling mutant, not willing to let him get her with the same prank twice. "Jokes over, Little Boy Blue! Get back up here!"

Cyclops didn't spare another moment, raising a hand to his visor and firing an optic blast at the rocks below; even if Kurt was joking, he wasn't going to take the risk. The blast destroyed the craggy rocks only seconds before Kurt would have hit them. With a great splash, the unconscious mutant landed in the water.

Logan had leapt off the edge of the cliff before he even heard the splash, performing an elegant swan dive that would have won a set of perfect tens at any competition. Breaking through the water headfirst, the older man quickly located the boy, still unconscious and sinking deeper by the second. Not wasting a moment, Logan swam down and grabbed the boy around the waist with one arm. Using powerful kicks and strokes with his free arm, he made it to the surface quickly. Taking a deep lung full of air, he spared a moment to confirm that the elf-like boy was still breathing, then directed a harsh glare at Tabitha.

The blonde girl above didn't notice, expelling a sigh of relief at seeing the boy was unhurt. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Tabitha wondered if she might be punished for this.

* * *

"... but we have them for many reasons," Xavier told the assembled students, although every one of them present knew the words were truly intended for Kurt and Tabitha. "Primarily among them being your safety. And the only way to ensure these rules are obeyed - to keep you all safe - is to implement harsh penalties when they are broken."

The students were in one of the mansion's lower-level debriefing rooms, arranged in a semicircle around the school headmaster. The New Mutants were giving Xavier their full attention as he lectured them - with the exception of Tabitha, who only paid the oration a modicum of attention, as she was much more focused on filing her nails.

"So Tabitha, Kurt," Xavier continued, moving his wheelchair towards the two students in question and giving them a steely look. Some of the others present directed glares at the two, causing Kurt to flinch. "For the next two weeks, you are confined to the Institute every day after school, you are prohibited from using your powers outside of training, and you will attend TWO sessions a day with Logan or Ranma, depending on whomever is available."

"But-"

"Yes, professor," Kurt interrupted Tabitha's protest, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "Ve understand."

Tabitha growled, twisting away from Kurt's hand and storming off, the other students following behind her at a more sedate pace. Kurt sighed as he watched her leave; he knew he shouldn't have played around during a serious training session, but once Boom Boom had gotten started, he hadn't been able to stop himself from joining in. His playful nature was sometimes a bit of a curse, and this was far from the first time it had gotten him into trouble.

Slipping off of his perch, Kurt had to stop himself from reflexively teleporting to his room. Sighing again, he walked out the door on foot, already missing the freedom to _bamf_ around whenever he wanted. That girl was too cute, and her fun and playful nature was incredibly attractive; on the other hand, her seeming disregard for the safety of herself or anyone else was a bit of a turnoff, but he wasn't sure if the cons outweighed the pros.

"Verdammt," the fuzzy mutant cursed, both at himself for getting into this situation and because the elevator was currently in use, meaning he would have to wait.

Pressing the 'up' button, Kurt leaned against the wall and waited; when was the last time he'd had a date? He'd been flirting with Kitty since she'd arrived at the mansion, but that was just for fun - she was just a friend, and while he wouldn't object to a relationship with her, he honestly enjoyed their friendship too much to change it into something more. She was too much fun to tease.

There were a handful girls at school he flirted with on a regular basis, and one or two of them even flirted back without rolling their eyes- the girl who sat next to him in Drama could be remarkably coquettish when the mood struck her - but that was purely for fun as well. None of them interested him on more than a physical level, and he liked to think he was above dating a girl purely for her looks.

A soft _ding_ sounded, indicating the elevator's arrival. The doors slid open, revealing his brother leaning against the back wall and giving him a stony look. Kurt chuckled nervously, stepping away from the door; it looked as if Ranma had heard about what happened. "Ah... I think I vill just vait unti-"

Ranma's arm shot out through the opening and grabbed Kurt by the collar, pulling the boy in before he could finish. Kurt gulped as the door shut behind them, leaving him alone in an enclosed space with his occasionally violent half-brother. "Um," Kurt swallowed again, "I am guessing you have heard vhat happened?"

"Yeah, I heard what happened, little bro," Ranma answered dryly, letting go of the other boy's collar. "And now, ya got yerself extra sessions with me."

"Or vith Logan," Kurt pointed out; while Logan's sessions weren't any easier than Ranma's most of the time, the older mutant didn't use quite as many... exotic methods, and was therefore deemed more desirable an instructor. On the other hand, Ranma did produce faster results, at the expense of greater personal injury and fatigue.

"Yeah, yer probably gonna get outta some of mine, aren't ya?" Ranma mused, rubbing his chin with his hand in contemplation. "Especially since I still gotta give the others their trainin'."

"However," He added, putting an arm around Kurt's shoulders in a very brotherly way, making Kurt instantly nervous. "I feel there's somethin' we need ta address. Somethin' very important, that truly justifies the need for more instruction, and I'm gonna suggest ta Logan that he consider addin' it ta his sessions with ya too."

Kurt felt a cold chill run up his spine. "And that vould be vhat?"

"Ya got knocked out by one blow ta the head, little bro!" Ranma said, frowning and rapping his knuckles against his brother's skull. "ONE blow! I thought ya were tougher than that!"

"I hit my head against a cliff!" The other boy countered defensively.

"Feh," Ranma snorted. "That was just a little bump. Why, when I was half yer age, I was takin' blows to the head from cliffs and stalactites and redwood trees, and ya know what I did?"

"Uh... you got knocked out?" The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open, revealing the hallway that lead to the dormitory. Ranma started walking, guiding Kurt along with him.

"Well... yes," Ranma admitted. "Several times. And quite painfully too, I havta admit." He pulled the boy in closer by the shoulder, and Kurt could feel the 'brotherly hug' begin to cut off the circulation in his arms. "But that ain't the point. The point, Kurt, is that my head got stronger, and soon," he paused, giving the boy a wicked grin. "Soon, so will yers. By the end of these two weeks, yer gonna be able ta take the full swing of an enraged tomboy's mallet and laugh it off."

"An enraged _vhat_?"

"Well, here's yer room," Ranma said. Patting Kurt on the shoulder, the pigtailed boy pushed him towards the door. "Go on in, get dressed, and get some breakfast before me an' Rahne eat it all."

"I vould actually like to get back to the mallet thing you mentioned..." Kurt replied, turning around to see Ranma already halfway down the hall.

"Can't talk, little bro!" He called back over his shoulder. "Food's callin'!"

Kurt watched him leave silently, trying to understand the 'tomboy' comment. An icy razor slid up Kurt's spine as his mind conjured ideas of the training his brother had in mind for him.

* * *

The light blue curtains that covered the window of Nabiki's room did little to block the relentless assault of sunlight that poured through. The still-sleeping girl groaned, pulling her covers over her head and rolling away from the light. "Mnnnuh..." she moaned against her pillow, a sleepy smile slowly crossing over her face. "wha' are ya doin' wit dat whipped cream Summers... mmmm..."

_THUMP!_

"Raspberries are in the mini-fridge!" Nabiki shouted in Japanese, snapped awake by the sudden shaking of her bedroom walls. Blinking the sleep from her eyes - and wondering why the hell she'd screamed something about raspberries - Nabiki's head whipped around, trying to find the source of the noise. What was going on? Was the house being attacked?

_THUMP!_

Awareness slowly crept up on her, and the source of the annoying thump registered in her mind. Slamming her head back down on the pillow, Nabiki groaned; she was going to kill Todd for waking her up this early.

Releasing another groan, the cyberpath forced herself to get out of bed and start her day. Readjusting her red silk pajamas to preserve her modesty - they were wonderfully comfortable, but had a tendency to ride up on her in the night - Nabiki mentally woke her laptop from sleep mode and began checking her e-mail. She was pleased to find a new bank statement had arrived, and that her paycheck had once again been wired into her account. Wherever Mystique was, she was keeping up with her end of the contract - which meant Nabiki would continue to do the same.

_THUMP!_

Stepping out her bedroom door, the middle Tendo yawned widely and shambled her way into the bathroom at the end of the hall, ignoring the continued thumping noises that shook the walls. Locking the door behind her - one could never be too careful in a house full of teenage boys - Nabiki stripped down and turned on the shower.

Staring in the mirror as she waited for the water to heat up, Nabiki absently wondered how long it would take to save up and install a furo. Using her mind to do a quick Google search to determine the cost of such a venture, she grimaced and shook her head in resignation - too damn long was how much time it would take. It was just as well; a furo wouldn't have a detachable shower head, and Nabiki sure as hell wasn't willing to give up that delightful luxury.

_THUMP!_

Around twenty minutes later - a large part of which was spent putting that 'delightful luxury' to excellent use - Nabiki stepped out of the bathroom, her towel wrapped securely around her still-dripping form. The shower having brought her to a state of full coherence, the brown-haired girl dashed back into her room, the cool air of the morning biting into her damp skin. Stepping out the door a few minutes later, she soon came upon the source of the annoying ruckus that had awoken her.

Standing outside of Mystique's empty room were Lance and Freddy, watching as Todd made yet another attempt to break down the securely locked door by flinging himself into it full force.

"What got him started this time?" Nabiki asked, watching as the boy collided with the door with a loud '_THUMP'_, rebounded off the hard wooden surface, bounced along the floor and rolled down the stairs. Todd had been trying to break into Mystique's room for the past week, and the only results he'd managed to obtain were a sore skull and roommates who alternated between amusement and annoyance.

"Pietro mentioned something about buying the last few seasons of CSI: Canton on DVD," Lance told her as Toad leaped up the stairs and ricocheted off the wall towards the door once again; the results, naturally, were exactly the same as before. "Toad said we didn't have enough money for 'em, and then declared he knew just where to get it. Thus..." He trailed off, gesturing towards Todd.

"Damn fool will use any excuse to try and get in there..." Nabiki sighed, shaking her head. "Freddy, grab him the next time he comes by, okay?"

Nodding obediently, Freddy shot out one of his massive arms and easily caught the boy as he bounced off the door yet again. Holding Todd upside down in a firm grip between his stomach and the crook of his elbow, Freddy looked to Nabiki, who gave him an approving smile.

"Owww," Todd whined, rubbing his head and sending a glare at the door, which had not even a scratch on it. "That door's gotta be made outta adamantium or sump'in."

"Todd," Nabiki said sweetly. "What have I told you about trying to break down that door?" She held up a finger, cutting him off before he could reply. "You needn't strain yourself thinking, I'm going to answer it for you: Don't." The last word was delivered with a thick coating of ice.

"Nabs is right," Freddy told the much smaller boy, looking down at him. "Not that I like ya or nothin', but I don't wanna see ya get hurt."

"It's not about him getting hurt," Nabiki said, heading down the stairs. The others followed behind her. "It's about the fact that Mystique will be pissed if she returns and finds anything in her room damaged or missing." She paused for a moment, then added. "And then she'd probably make us pay for it."

"Yeah," Pietro agreed, meeting them at the bottom of the stairs and munching on a piece of dry toast. "Do you want Mystique to kick our asses when she gets back?"

"She ain't comin' back, yo," Todd shot back, firing off an upside-down glower at all four of his housemates. "So why don't we see if she left any cash lyin' around?"

"We don't need any extra money," Lance pointed out as Todd tried to twist his way out of Freddy's hold. "We're making plenty at school, and Nab's paycheck covers pretty much anything else. Ain't like the house is crumbling apart or we got nothing to eat."

"Speaking of school," Nabiki said, checking her internal clock. "We have to get going."

Todd finally managed to squirm his way to freedom, landing on the floor headfirst. "I know we got money," he said, springing to his feet and landing in his customary crouched position. "But I wanna get those DVDs, and I ain't got enough dough."

"Maybe you should actually save some of your thirteen percent so you can buy them." Nabiki suggested, grabbing her book bag with a role of her eyes; the boy was simply too dumb for words. The solution was literally walking directly in front of him, and he couldn't even see her. "Or maybe find some other way of getting the needed cash."

"Hey Nabs," Todd said, hopping along with her as she opened the door and walked out to Lance's jeep. "Can I get a raise?"

"No."

* * *

"Now," Melinda said quietly, leaning in close to Ranma from her seat next to him. "To get the shading right, first find the light source and-"

"GOOD MORNING, STUDENTS!" The intercom boomed with the principals excited voice, cutting off Melinda's instruction and causing both her and Ranma to look up. Most of the other students in the class did so as well, although some continued to work on drawing the still life that had been set up around Lola, giving the principal only half of their attention.

Privately, Ranma was happy to have the interruption; he'd been doing this all week, and his interest in the class hadn't increased in the slightest. Not that he didn't appreciate Melinda's help, and drawing actually helped pass the time more than just sitting around would, but he just didn't see himself caring enough to take the class really seriously.

"TONIGHT IS THE BIG NIGHT," Kelly continued happily, hoping to rouse the enthusiasm of his students. "THE NIGHT OF THE BIG BAYVILLE HIGH CARNIVAL FUNDRAISER! REMEMBER, ALL OF THE FUNDS RAISED TONIGHT WILL GO TOWARDS REBUILDING OUR GYMNASIUM, WHICH WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED IN LAST MONDAY'S FIRE."

"How'd they set up a whole carnival so quickly?" Ranma asked, having to lean in close to Melinda's ear to be heard over the loud crackling voice on the intercom. He'd seen the various rides and booths being set up across from the ruined gymnasium when he'd arrived at school earlier

"They already had it planned," Melinda whispered back, enjoying the feel of Ranma's breath against her ear. "They do it every year, actually, to raise money for various things. This year it was supposed to be for new football uniforms and training equipment."

"Which they don't need," Dante snorted as he passed by. "Honestly, Lorelei and I tried to convince the administration how much we needed the money for a new kiln, but they ignored us just like they do every year. Not to mention how hard it is to run an entire department with just the two of us...why, when I was enrolled here, we had not two, not three, but SIX full-time art teachers, and..."

"Just tune him out," Melinda whispered to the pigtailed boy as Dante continued to rant. "We have all learned to ignore him when he gets like this. Happens more often than you might believe."

* * *

"...so we hope to see you all there having a good, safe time." Kelly concluded, switching off the intercom. Getting out of his crouched position in front of the microphone, he made a mental note to see if there was room in the budget for a longer cord for the device; if he had to bend over like that often, he'd end up throwing his back out in a few years. Giving his spine a quick crack, he made his way over to the painting on the wall behind him - a very well-done image of a large wooden ship on the ocean, done in oils.

"Dorothy," he said, turning to his secretary, a pretty woman in her mid-thirties with short, light brown hair. "Every hour during the carnival, I'd like you to collect the profits and deposit them-" he pulled back the painting - the frame staying in place - revealing a small safe set into the wall. "-in here."

"Yes Mr. Kelly," Dorothy replied. Turning, she saw there was a visitor and greeted him with a well-practiced smile. "Hello, may I help you sir?"

"Yes," The man replied in a low voice, a pleasant smile crossing over his disreputable features. He was a tall man with broad shoulders and close-cropped light brown hair, dressed in a mustard brown long-sleeved shirt and dark jeans. "My daughter is enrolled here. Her name is Tabitha Smith, and I would like to see her, please, if it isn't too much trouble."

"Wait just one moment, please," The secretary told him, turning around and pulling open the top drawer of the green file cabinet behind her.

The man watched as the principal went into his office, then narrowed his eyes and looked at the painting he had been standing next to. He had come in just in time to see the safe and hear what Kelly had said. A scheming smirk crossed over his face as an idea began to form in his mind, but was quickly smothered and replaced with his mask of kindness when the secretary turned back in his direction.

"I'm sorry sir," Dorothy told the man, reading the file on Tabitha Smith she had open in her arms. "but it appears Tabitha has a restricted visitor list." Closing the file, she looked up at him, her expression shifting into the often-used 'I'm-getting-rid-of-you-but-trying-to-be-nice-about-it' look that nobody ever seemed to pick up on. "I'll have to refer you to the Xavier Institute."

"Then I'll have to check with them," The man answered pleasantly. "Thank you." Turning away, he cast another glance to the hidden wall safe before exiting the office.

Dorothy frowned as the door swung shut; she considered herself to be skilled at reading people, and something about that man put her off. The fact that he wasn't allowed to see his own daughter - or the girl he CLAIMED was his daughter - was another warning sign. Picking up her phone, she dialed the extension for the school security personnel. Dorothy realized she could be wrong, but there were some sick people out there, and she had always preferred to play it safe.

* * *

Tabitha struggled with her locker, getting increasingly frustrated with it; she'd dialed in the combination three times, and the lock had continually refused to open. Beating her fist against it in anger had little effect, but it did make her feel a little better.

Pulling on the handle with all her might, Tabitha groaned as she heard the bell ring, signaling that second period was about to begin and that she had only a few minutes before the late bell sounded. Pounding her fist against the locker again, the blonde mutant grinned as an idea occurred to her; taking a halfhearted glance around the hall to make sure no one was watching, she formed a small time bomb between her fingers. Slipping it inside the lock, she took a step to the side, put on a look of nonchalance and triggered the explosive.

_BOOM!_ The bomb detonated, bursting the locker open in a shower of singed school supplies and shards of twisted metal. Tabitha smiled, proud of her successful and ingenious solution to the problem; stepping in front of the ruined compartment, Tabitha looked inside.

"Hey," she said in sudden realization, "This isn't my locker." Slamming the door shut, she was surprised by the sight of Kurt - looking like a normal, non-furry person thanks to his image inducer - on the other side. The boy was leaning against the lockers, holding a cheeseburger in his hands and giving her a cheerful grin.

"Tsk tsk tsk," He clucked, shaking his head. "Have you forgotten already? No powers."

"Woah, hey," Tabitha waved off his words, walking past him to the locker at the end of the row and spinning the first number into the combination. "Listen Bamfy Smurf, one lecture a day is my limit."

"Vell, I think ve got off easy."

"Please," Tabitha huffed, turning away from the locker and crossing her arms, giving the boy a wry look. "Professor X needs to loosen his necktie and seriously lighten up." She stepped directly in front of him, poking him in the chest with one ring-clad finger and giving him a teasing look. "I mean, what good is having these powers if we can't have a little fun with 'em once in a while?"

Kurt reflexively pressed himself harder against the lockers, both intimated and aroused by the self-assertive blonde before him. "Hehe," he chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I know vhat you mean, but-"

"I'm starved!" Tabitha interrupted, seeing the cheeseburger in his hand and snatching it away. "Mmmm, Gut-Bombs! I love these!" She exclaimed happily, taking a large bite.

Kurt started to protest - he'd ended up missing breakfast, and had to run to Burger Bomb before first period in order to get something in his belly - but was preemptively cut off by a loud and prolonged ringing.

"Late bell!" Tabitha exclaimed, forcibly turning Kurt around. "Lend me your Social Studies book?" She asked hurriedly; not waiting for an answer, she opened his book bag and grabbed the book in question. "Get it back to you later, thanks bye!"

Running his fingers through his hair in a daze, Kurt watched with a stupid grin as the blond girl ran off down the hall towards her next class. He didn't notice the door he was standing in front of open, nor did he see Evan standing on the other side.

"Dude, hurry up! You're late for chemistry!" Evan said, pulling his unresisting friend inside the classroom and slamming the door shut.

Shoving the last of the cheeseburger into her mouth, Tabitha zipped around a corner, then immediately skidded to a halt. Gasping as she nearly choked on the greasy meat, she stared with wide, fearful eyes at the man leaning casually against the lockers. "Dad!" She exclaimed, taking a small step back.

"Hello Tabby," her father greeted her, giving Tabitha the slow, shady smile she had grown to hate over the years.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, narrowing her eyes. He was wearing that ugly mustard-brown shirt - if he thought wearing the present she'd gotten him for Christmas four years ago would make her see him any differently, he was even stupider than she thought.

"It's taken me two long months, Princess," He said menacingly, advancing slowly on the girl; Tabitha backed away from him, but her retreat was halted when he grabbed her forearm in a painful hold. "But I've finally tracked you down."

* * *

Returning to his seat as the second bell rang, Ranma sighed in resignation; painting was far more difficult than drawing, and even Melinda was having trouble giving him advice. He had great brush control for a beginner, according to the blonde, and the colours he used were dead accurate, but beyond that...

"Stupid classes are never gonna work out," He mumbled to himself, causing Melinda to look over at him in confusion. He didn't notice, and continued muttering, "Gotta see Kelly again soon, hope he found a way ta fix my schedule."

"What was that?" The blonde girl asked, hoping she'd heard him wrong. She enjoyed sharing these classes with the pigtailed man of her dreams, and had been dreading the possibility that he might actually get his schedule fixed.

"Nothin'," Ranma replied, cracking his neck and picking up his brush; the exercise for the day was to continue a still life they had started the previous class, which happened to be the exact same still life they'd been doing in Advanced Drawing. "So... what do I gotta do ta get the shape of the moose head right?"

"Hold on just a moment," Melinda told him, rising from her seat.

"'Kay," Ranma replied, setting the brush down and leaning his head against his hand. Melinda winced inwardly at how bored he looked, but put the concern aside and quietly made her way over to Dante.

The art teacher was sitting at his desk, wearing a pair of ear buds connected to a portable radio. He seemed completely engrossed in what he was listening to, and took some time to realize Melinda was standing in front of his desk. "Easy money my ass," he muttered pulling out the ear buds and switching off the radio. "I'll never trust a tip on a horse from Leo again, damn thing finished third last."

"Hey, Dante?" Melinda began, keeping her voice down to not disturb anyone as well as to keep wandering ears from listening.

"Yes?" The man answered. "How is our young neophyte doing?"

"Have you seen his work?"

"I have, yes," Dante answered. "Rather impressive, for one who has apparently done nothing in the field of art before now. Could be a lot better, of course-"

"He is not really trying," Melinda interrupted, a note of sadness coming into her voice despite her best efforts. "He just does not seem to want to try. I just heard him muttering about seeing if his schedule has been fixed yet."

"I've looked into the schedule mishap myself," Dante told her, leaning back in his chair. "It appears to be bigger than previously thought. His files indicate that he has, in fact, taken the prerequisite classes, and is therefore eligible to be in these Advanced courses."

"But he has not," Melinda insisted. "He was not in them last year, and he says he never took anything of the sort back in Japan." She saw the words forming on his lips and gave him a glare, silencing the forming query. "And he would not have lied about that.

"Regardless," Melinda continued, getting to the point of the matter. "I cannot seem to kindle within him even the barest interest in the subject. When we start the independent projects next week, he is going to be completely lost and then he'll get torn apart by the others during the critique and that will make him want to leave even more and-"

"Melinda," Dante interrupted the perturbed girl, "Calm down, please. If you like, I could have a talk with him and see if I can convince him to try harder."

The blonde considered his words for a moment, tapping a finger against her chin. "What would you say to him?"

"I'm not sure yet," Dante admitted. "But fifty bucks says what I do come up with will work."

"I am not taking that bet," Melinda answered dryly. "And you should not even be making it. I am a student, for one thing, and-"

"Yeah, yeah," The man muttered, standing up. "Let Ranma know I'd like to see him, please, then get back to your work."

"Thank you," Melinda said, flashing him a dazzling smile. Heading back to her seat, Dante saw her whisper something to the pigtailed boy she was obviously infatuated with - he'd known the girl long enough to recognize the signs, although he'd never before seen her this strongly enamored. Seeing Ranma glance his way, Dante nodded; the boy stood up and strode over to the desk, hands in his pockets.

"I'm stepping out for a few minutes," Dante told the class. "Melinda, as a show of blatant favouritism I'm leaving you in charge. Keep working, don't burn down anything especially important, and don't go looking for the secret compartment in my desk containing the issue of _Playboy_ Lorelei posed in to help pay her way through art school."

Turning to Ranma, he continued in a quieter voice. "Walk with me, please." He gestured his head towards the open doorway. Ranma raised a questioning eyebrow, but did as bidden. Dante grabbed a ring of keys from his desk and followed after him.

* * *

"Leave me alone!" Tabitha growled, her blue eyes flashing with anger. Tearing her arm out of his grip with minimal effort, Tabitha realized that maybe Ranma's training sessions were actually having some effect - she should probably stop skipping them so much. Clutching her books to her chest, she backed away, her fierce gaze never wavering. "I'm late for class."

"Hey," Mr. Smith said, his tone suddenly shifting from intimidating to approachable, an act which Tabitha was all too familiar with. "I just want to talk, that's all."

"Well I don't," The blonde snapped, turning her back on the man and putting more distance between them.

"Look," Mr. Smith said, "Me and your mom, we're tryin' to work things out. I want to put everythin' right, but I can't do it without you."

"Try," Tabitha shot back coldly, not looking at the man as she made her way to her class; she didn't care if she was late, she had bigger problems to deal with now. If she had cast a glance over her shoulder, she would have seen her father's eyes narrow in anger before he turned around, stalking off.

* * *

"...and if they had just shot Gilligan in the head, they would have been off of that island within a week," Dante told Ranma as the pair drifted through the halls. "Twelve days, tops."

"Good point," Ranma agreed after taking a moment to think it over. They'd been strolling throughout the school now for several minutes, seemingly without direction. The conversation also lacked any kind of logical pathway, as the art teacher had - for reasons Ranma was unaware of - started talking about Gilligan's Island. He had, surprisingly, seen many episodes, due entirely to Kurt having every season on DVD, and his insistence on watching a few episodes every night.

"Although," Dante continued, "to be honest, the Skipper really should have watched the weather report before heading out. I mean-"

"Not that this ain't interestin'," Ranma interrupted, not noticing as they stopped in front of a clear glass door. "But didja pull me outta class just ta talk about sitcoms?"

"Nah," Dante said with a dismissive wave. "That was just something to fill in the silence as we got here." He gestured towards the door with a nod of his head, his keys jangling as he fished them out of his pocket.

"And where is here?" Ranma asked, looking around as Dante unlocked the door. He remembered having passed by this part of the school on occasion, but had no idea as to what classes were actually taught in this area of the building. A few feet away from the door, on the same wall, was a pane of glass that created a window into the room, behind which he could see some dark shapes but little else.

"Here," Dante said, pausing to open the door. Stepping inside and holding the door, he quickly flipped on the light switch and gave a grand flourish with his free arm. "Is the Bayville High school art gallery."

Stepping inside, Ranma let his eyes wander over every inch of the room. It had high ceilings, and overall was a little larger than the average Bayville High classroom. The window he'd seen outside turned out to be a display case set into the wall, the shadowy shapes he'd glimpsed before now revealed to be small sculptures of varying mediums. Paintings and drawings covered the walls, with the odd photographs and mixed media thrown in here and there. In the center of the room were larger sculptures on rectangular platforms. The lighting seemed to have been set specifically to give each piece the perfect amount of exposure - a job that had to have taken a great amount of time and effort, Ranma realized, and evidenced the amount of dedication to the subject whomever arranged the show had.

"You like it?" Dante asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. "The school finally relented six years ago and let us have this space to exhibit guest artists and student work. We usually keep the door unlocked, so anyone can come in and see it if they wish, but I didn't have time to get up here and open it before classes started today."

"Not bad," Ranma answered, giving the entirety of the exhibit a quick once-over. It was nice, but he couldn't help but feel curious as to why Dante had brought him here.

"It's student work," Dante told him, a small amount of pride slipping into his tone. "Specifically, the final projects from last year. The show is coming down in a few days, and I thought you should have a chance to see it."

"Ah," Ranma nodded in realization; that question was answered, but that still left another one. "Uh... Why?"

"Why not?" Dante shrugged. "It's a good show, and the students worked very hard on everything. A few of them even took time out of their personal lives to come in after school and during lunch to set everything up. Not even _I_ was willing to do that.

"But I suppose there is an ulterior motive to bringing you up here," Dante continued, taking a leisurely stroll around the room. "I've been looking at your work from the past week, and I have to say," he paused, shooting Ranma a look. "It kinda sucks."

"What?" Ranma asked disbelievingly; since when did teachers come outright and say things like that? Besides, hadn't Melinda had said he was doing well for an amateur?

"It blows, reeks, looks like crap," Dante told him, turning his gaze back to a small painting of a winter landscape. "It's plainly obvious that you're not even trying. We made a deal on the first day, that while you were in my class, you'd BE in my class - and from what I've seen, you haven't held up your end of the bargain."

"I have too!" Ranma protested. "I been to every one of yer classes!"

"You've been there in person, this is true," Dante acknowledged. "But you haven't truly been present. Your mind is always elsewhere, and your work suffers from the lack of attention. Your looking forward to the end, and never focusing on the present."

Ranma's mouth dropped open as he prepared to deny the charges, but he couldn't. It was true; his mind wandered a lot, and he anticipated the end of class with a desire usually reserved only for Kasumi's food. "Yeah, okay," He admitted begrudgingly, giving Dante a short nod. "Yer right."

"You aren't really that bad of an artist," Dante continued, inwardly pleased to see his words having the intended effect. "You have an excellent sense of spatial realization, anatomy, and proportion. I'm quite certain your martial arts training is the reason for this, as you've spent years sizing up opponents and environments, not to mention having to know your own body inside and out. Your hand-eye coordination, which I attribute to the same source, is second-to-none." He paused, shooting the pigtailed boy a grin. "That, by the way, is another connection between the two disciplines."

"But," Ranma put in, noticing a slight contradiction in what the teacher had said before and was saying now. "Ya said before that my work sucked."

"It does," Dante nodded.

"But ya just said-"

"Take a look around the room," Dante interrupted, gesturing in a full circle around the gallery. "I want you to look at each and every piece, and tell me which one you think is the best. The piece that you think shows the most skill and ability."

Ranma was very confused by this point, unsure as to what this had to do with what Dante had been saying only seconds before. Deciding to go along with what had been requested, Ranma looked towards the nearest piece on the wall - a detailed charcoal drawing of a seashell. Looking it over for several minutes, he moved on to the next piece, a painting of a calico kitten stretching out in sunbeam.

Shuddering, Ranma quickly moved on to the next one; it was another painting, this time an acrylic self-portrait of a boy he thought he recognized from class. Spending a moment or two taking it in, the pigtailed boy moved on.

Slowly, he made his way around the room, taking everything in slowly. Ranma stopped for a few minutes on some, a few seconds on others, not even realizing the intense critical eye he was giving each item was the same type of inspection he usually reserved for opponents and new techniques.

After making a complete circuit of the room - including a trip to the center to look at the sculptures - Ranma made his way to a large ink drawing on the far wall. "This one," he said confidently.

"That one?" Dante asked, moving to the boy's side to observe it. It was a drawing of young man sitting against a tree with a book in his lap, done entirely in black ink on a very large white sheet of watercolour paper. The lines had an almost machinelike precision, the level of detail accurate to the point that each individual blade of grass was visible, and the entire image - despite having a lot to look at - didn't carry a sense of being cluttered.

"You're certain?" The man asked, frowning slightly. "Why did you choose this one over all the others?"

"Well, yeah," Ranma answered simply. "It... y'know, looks like what it's s'posed ta be, and the, uh, detail is really good, and... umm..." His confidence in his choice marred by the questioning and the fact that he couldn't find the right words. "It's just really, really good an' stuff."

"I see," Dante said with a nod, realizing the boy didn't know how to give a complete critique - which made sense, as he hadn't developed an artistic eye yet. "Okay, I can see where you are coming from. Now," he turned away from the drawing, looking back at the boy. "Take another look around, and this time, look at each piece differently."

"What kinda way?" Ranma questioned, his face twisting into a quizzical look. "I don't get whatcha mean."

"I mean look at them in a different way," Dante repeated. "Take a different viewpoint when you observe each piece. Try looking beyond the technical skill and into the true essence of the art."

Frowning, the pigtailed mutant made another circuit of the room, unsure as to how he was supposed to accomplish this objective. He still wasn't quite sure what point Dante was trying to make with this, but he seemed to think it was important - and since it was getting him out of class, Ranma thought it only fair to indulge him.

Giving a watercolour landscape a look of intense scrutiny, he made an attempt to look at it in a different way. How the hell was one supposed to see the 'essence' of something? Sighing, Ranma briefly considered giving up, but the idea was smashed under the spike of a mental high-healed leather boot. Ranma Saotome never ga-

'Wait,' Ranma blinked, spinning around suddenly and staring at a painting he'd just passed. 'What the hell was that?' He could have sworn he'd seen something out of the corner of his eye, a soft pink glow...

The painting was a bit different from the others in the show, which had mostly consisted of portraits, still-life and landscapes. This one, on the other hand, could not have come from reality.

A midnight black stallion galloping along an empty dirt road that cut through a never-ending field. The remnants of what had once been a strong and sturdy fence lay scattered and forgotten along the side of the road, well-illuminated by the serene yellows, pinks and purples of the twilight sky. The stallion's deep blue-grey eyes burned with determination, ignoring the barren environment it charged through, intent on it's unseen goal. Looking even closer, Ranma thought he could see a bright and towering city of light reflected in the horse's eyes, but he wasn't sure if it was actually there or if it was merely a figment of his imagination.

It was a good painting, incredibly well done; the style balanced on the edge of fantasy and reality, containing realistic elements but done in a style that conveyed the fantastic. His eyes scoured every millimeter of the image, wondering if he might have hallucinated the pink glow, or if perhaps it had merely been the painted twilight sky catching the right amount of light at just the right time. Ranma was about to move on when he felt it; a small twinge of ki, almost completely imperceptible, but without a doubt originating from the painting. If his senses weren't so finely tuned, or if he had been even a few inches further away, he would have missed it completely.

This shouldn't be possible; the last time Ranma had checked, inanimate objects didn't generate life energy, nor were they capable of having emotions. Closing his eyes and working on a hunch, Ranma focused his ki into his sight, enhancing his blue-grey orbs to see beyond the visible spectrum. Ignoring the slight pain in his eyes from the experimental technique, he opened them slowly - and his breath immediately caught in his throat.

The painting looked exactly the same, except every brushstroke shimmered with an intensely radiant glow of ki, like sunlight dancing across still water. He fought the urge to squint at the shining brilliance the image had become, the lustrous blues, pinks and yellows assaulting his vision yet caressing his senses. He felt the familiar surge of confidence, the subtle yet strong vibes of affection and love, the dancing flows of unbridled happiness, and almost unnoticeable twinges of anger and uncertainty.

Ranma was struck with a sudden shocked realization; the painting wasn't generating ki, it was infused with it! He knew it wasn't too difficult to suffuse inanimate objects with ki - the Iron Cloth technique was evidence of that - but the ki always faded after a few minutes. This painting had been hanging in this gallery for three months at the very least, and the life energy still burned intently.

This, without a doubt, defied almost everything he knew about ki manipulation.

Pressing his face even closer, his nose mere millimeters from the surface, Ranma made an intense scrutiny of the ki itself; the threads of life energy were intricately woven into a tapestry of light, touching on almost every facet of the picture. Despite the lustrousness of it, however, the actual amount of ki used was miniscule, bordering almost on the nonexistent. It had the intensity of a normal Moko Takabisha, but using the amount present in the painting would create a ki blast that resembled a half-dead nightlight.

Catching a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye, Ranma quickly glanced to the side and was hit with another powerful jolt; this painting wasn't the only one. At least half the gallery's contents were infused with ki, although none were as intricate or as luminescent as the painting of the black horse. The ink drawing he had selected earlier held no glow, seeming utterly dull and lifeless in comparison to the ones that contained ki.

Ranma grit his teeth as his eyes started to burn painfully; reluctantly, he ended the vision enhancement technique, unconsciously letting out a small sigh of relief as his eyesight returned to normal. Blinking away the spots that had formed in front of his eyes, Ranma looked over at Dante, who was staring back at him curiously.

"This one," Ranma said quietly.

"An excellent choice," Dante smiled, nodding in approval.

"It's... glowing," Ranma breathed, turning his gaze back towards the canvas. "I can feel the... I dunno what it is, but I can feel it."

"That," Dante said, absently wondering what the boy meant by the 'glowing' comment, "is passion. What you are feeling is the passion the artist has put into their work, their emotions put into a form for all to see. That is the difference between technical skill and true dedication. The drawing you selected before is pure technical skill, done with an almost machinelike precision, with little emotional investment."

"This painting on the other hand," Dante continued, "shows true dedication. This painting shows passion, a passion the artist held for what she was doing and for art itself. That is the main difference between the two, even more so than the medium or the subject matter. It is an incredibly subtle thing, when an artist puts their entire heart into what they do, and not easily discernible to the naked eye, but it makes so many worlds of difference."

Ranma's eyes widened a fraction in realization - he didn't know it was there! Dante had no idea the painting was infused with an entire spectrum of emotional ki; he couldn't see it, not like Ranma could through the experimental technique he had used. Most people wouldn't be able to see or feel the ki and know what it was, instead experiencing it only on a subconscious level. Which could mean only one thing...

Ranma stared at the image of the charging black stallion with renewed incomprehension. The artist didn't know they were doing it; the intricate and precise working of different emotional ki was completely unplanned and unknown. How was that possible? How did they do it?

"Don't get me wrong," Dante continued, startling Ranma out of his thoughts. "Technical skill is a great thing to have, and takes years of hard work to develop, especially to the level Shauna is showing here," He gestured to the drawing Ranma had first selected. "I know for a fact that Shauna intends to become an illustrator for medical textbooks, a profession in which technical skill is far more necessary than passion.

"The point I'm trying to make, however," Dante declared, his voice gaining a note of intensity that had Ranma hanging on his every word - something a schoolteacher had never before managed to accomplish with the pigtailed boy. "Is that while technical skill is important and useful, passion for what you do is essential. Be it art, music, martial arts, whatever, the passion is what drives you to become better, the desire to learn more, the need to constantly surpass yourself. You can have more skill than anyone else on the planet, but if you don't enjoy what you do with your entire being, if you don't have the passion for it..." He trailed off, and was pleased to see he had Ranma's undivided attention as he delivered the final blow. "Then why did you ever learn it in the first place?"

"And that," Dante concluded, crossing his arms and shooting Ranma a bemused grin. "Is why your work sucks. Do you get what I mean?"

"My work sucks..." Ranma summarized, "'cause I don't care."

"Bravo," The teacher applauded. "I was worried I would have to make another long speech, possibly involving hand puppets."

Ranma didn't notice the barb, his mind focused on the ki-infused artwork all around him. He was pretty sure he'd figured out how the ki infusion worked - the 'passion' they put in to their work somehow had an added effect of transferring a small amount of ki, based around whatever emotion they were using to fuel their 'dedication' at the time.

What didn't make sense, though, was how a bunch of artists with no training, knowledge, or even awareness of ki had managed to manipulate it in such an intricate way. Ranma wrapped his mind around it, looking at it from every possible angle, but found himself unable to come to any kind of plausible answer.

"I know you say you don't have an interest in what I teach," Dante said, slipping his hands into his pockets and turning in the direction of the door. "And I can't force you to have an interest in it. But I thought you should know this, since it's highly unlikely your schedule will ever be fixed."

"It ain't that big a deal no more," Ranma replied absently, his gaze turning back to the painting that had started this entire line of thought. The ki used was so miniscule he could barely sense it, despite standing less than two feet away. How did they use so little, yet produce so powerful an effect? "I think I may be developin' an interest after all."

His combat-oriented brain was already developing possible techniques based around what he already knew, and a burning need began to fill him; he had to learn this new form of ki manipulation. And so far, the only way to do so he could find, was to stick with this class, and learn how they did it.

"Well that's good to hear," Dante smiled. Checking his watch, he pushed the door open. "We should get back," he said over his shoulder. "It's been almost half an hour since we left."

"Actually, d'ya mind if I stay here for a bit?"

"Not at all," The older man answered. "Just be back before the bell." Seeing Ranma's nod, Dante left him alone in the room.

The pigtailed boy gazed at the painting before him, unable to tear his eyes away from it. His thoughts, however, had shifted from the topic of precise ki manipulation to another connection he'd made, one that had planted a seed in Ranma's mind that had begun sprouting.

Passion. The word echoed in his mind. Passion and dedication, a true love for what you do. Why hadn't he seen it before? Had he been so consumed with hating his mutation for giving him a physical boost, he'd forgotten such an important aspect?

He loved the Art; there was no question about that. It was one of the most important aspects of his life, and he could not imagine ever giving it up. It had brought him untold amounts of pain and suffering, but through it all he had grown stronger. He had never wavered in his dedication - everything his father had ever thrown at him, every insane training exercise, he had devoted himself to mastering and surpassing. And with the arguable exception of the horrid Neko-ken, he had succeeded every time.

Learning that his mutation had an effect on the skill he'd spent a lifetime acquiring had rocked Ranma to his very core. He'd been proud - some people would say unbearably egotistical - about his accomplishments in the art of combat, but in the span of a few minutes that confidence had been shattered. The hours spent after the revelation had been filled with depression and self-doubt, and despite having come out of that funk - having realized that depression was boring - he still felt it's occasional resurgence. Each and every time, it was ruthlessly crushed down, discarded and ignored.

And in Ranma's refusal to acknowledge the problem, he'd also stupidly ignored what should have been so incredibly obvious.

Ranma shook his head slowly in bemusement; he'd joked with Rogue that he was just going to wait for a 'revelation' to help him through this, but he'd never in a million years expected one to actually come.

Turning back to the painting that had captured his attention, he noticed a previously unseen white tag taped to the wall beneath it.

"'Wild Horse in Twilight'," He read aloud. "'Oils on canvas. Painted by Melinda Frost...'"

* * *

'Ugh,' Scott grimaced as he cast an eye over the questionable meal that had been heaped on this lunch tray. 'I have definitely got to take the time to make a lunch in the morning.'

Tearing his eyes away from the 'meal' - it's status as 'food' currently under investigation - Scott looked around the lunchroom for someone to sit with. There was no sign of Jean, he observed with some disappointment, although the empty seat at Duncan's table was obviously reserved for her, so there was little chance he'd be able to sit with her anyway. Spotting Kurt at another table, he maneuvered his way through the crowd and took a seat next to his friend.

"Hey, cheer up," he told the boy, who leaning his head in one hand and using the other to drop straw loads of soda on a plate of tater tots. "There will be other carnivals. I mean, it's not like you had a date or anything, right?"

"No," Kurt replied, lifting his head up and giving Scott an amused look. "Not all of us can stumble our vay into a date vith a sexy blonde."

"Yeah," Scott chuckled nervously, his eyes darting around behind his shades to see if Emma was anywhere nearby. "I'm still not sure how that happened."

"I'm rather curious as to that as well, " An amused voice interjected. The two boys looked to see Nabiki claiming a seat at the table. Moving the chair closer to Scott, she rested her head against her hand and gave him an amused look.

"Nabiki?" Scott questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"With that kind of charm," the brown-haired girl commented drily. "It's no wonder you managed to attract the attention of Ms. Frost." Her smirk shifted into a genuine smile, and she leaned in closer, whispering into the boy's ear. "You know, when I gave you that little piece of advice at the assembly the other day, I didn't intend for you to take it... without taking me as well..."

A bright red flush came over Scott's face, and he almost choked on the bite of sloppy joe he'd been attempting to swallow. "Well, um, you ne-"

"I don't mind," Nabiki interrupted, trailing a finger along Scott's jawline to bring his face towards her own. "I'm actually rather pleased your looking into other options than Ms. Grey. But if you find Ms. Frost to be... not to your liking tonight, my associates and I will be...around. Feel free to pull me away from their 'rousing' conversation and companionship. " She stood up gracefully, giving Scott a wink before walking away.

"How are you doing this?" Kurt breathed, staring at the departing Nabiki's swaying hips. Leaning across the table, he pulled Scott in by the collar. "Teach me!"

"Kurt," Scott said, pulling himself out of the other boy's desperate grip. "Trust me, you don't want to attract the women I seem to be. Nabiki and Emma are nothing but trouble, I can feel it in my gut."

Kurt wasn't listening, having spotted a familiar face on the other side of the lunchroom. "Tabitha!" He called out, waving his hand in the air to attract her attention.

"Then again," Scott muttered. "Maybe troublesome women are just what you're looking for..."

"Oh, hey," Tabitha said as she approached the table, giving Kurt a slightly strained smile; the incident with her father earlier still had her on edge. "Blue! I got your Social Studies book right here." She reached into her bag and pulled the book out, setting it on the table. "Thanks again. Woah!" She exclaimed, seeing the orange and yellow can of soda in his hand. "Nectarine Smash! I love these!"

Kurt anticipated the grab, raising the can above his head. "Soda machine right around that corner," he told Tabitha, pointing with two fingers towards the doorway.

"Stingy-boy," She cooed, trailing a finger under his chin and giving him a wry smile as she walked off. "See you around."

"Heh," Kurt said, sitting back down with a confident smirk. "Vhat am I thinking, I don't need your help. Chicks dig the fozzy dude!"

Scott said nothing, taking another bit of his sloppy joe. It wasn't half as bad as it looked, which meant it wasn't half as good as real food.

"Man," Kurt said, picking up the textbook Tabitha had returned to him. "She doodled all over it!" Turning the book towards Scott, the older boy could see that the front was covered with multicoloured drawings and stylized words - 'BOOM' being the one most present. "She even dots her i's vith little explosions!"

"Gee," Scott commented, unable to hold back the sarcasm, "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"She's kinda funny, isn't she?" Kurt said, resting his head on one hand, a funny smile crossing over his face.

"Yeah," Scott answered, standing up a he finished the last of his lunch. "Just hilarious. So funny she almost got you killed this morning." He headed for the door, intending to spend the rest of his lunch period outside. "Just be careful around her, okay Kurt?" He added, giving Kurt a friendly pat on the shoulder as he passed by.

Kurt nodded absently, staring thoughtfully at the cute doodles covering his Social Studies book.

* * *

Lance smirked, giving the hallway a quick glance before placing his hand on the soda machine in front of him. The machine to began to shake violently, and a few seconds later a green can rolled out of the dispenser. Grinning in triumph, Lance ceased using his powers and grabbed his free drink. Damn, it was a Citrus Slam; he'd been hoping for a Grape Avalanche - not for the taste, but the amusement factor. Shrugging, he decided to take what he could get and popped the can open, taking a long swig.

"Nice technique," And unfamiliar voice said behind him. Turning, the grungy boy saw a cute blonde wearing a hot pink tee shirt and a pair of tight sky blue jeans. He thought he recognized her - Tabitha, one of the new geeks at Xavier's.

Tabitha shot him a grin as she leaned against the machine, lifting one hand and forming a small ball of energy, which she then placed into the coin slot. She took a step back and seconds later Lance heard the machine rumble with a loud explosion from the inside, firing dozens of cans and hundreds of coins around the room.

"But I think my method has a bit more 'oomph', don't you?" Tabitha asked, grabbing a can of Nectarine Smash out of the air and walking past the boy.

"Impressive," Lance admitted with a grin as the girl chugged down her ill-gotten drink. "Breaking rules and appliances. You'd fit right it at our place." He paused, then added. "Provided you're willing to help with the business and pay for the appliances you break, of course."

"Yeah?" Tabitha replied, giving the boy an amused look as she finished off the last of her soda. "And you think I'd actually want to?" She laughed, tossing the can over her shoulder and into a trash can as she walked away.

Lance smirked, unaffected by the girl's subtle insult. Finishing off his own soda, he dropped the empty can, ignoring the pile of change it clattered against as it hit the floor. He jumped a few seconds later when Jean suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Hey Lance, have you seen Ranma?" She asked, her left eye twitching slightly. Lance mutely shook his head, and Jean raced off down the hall.

Giving the redhead an almost pitying look as she disappeared out the door, Lance shook his head. It was such a shame when a pretty girl like that succumbed to addiction; he'd seen it too often in the past, and only hoped she wasn't using any of the harder drugs. Those could really screw someone up - and not the user least of all.

Shaking his head one last time, he deemed the matter none of his business and promptly forgot about it.

* * *

"So yah actually had a revelation?" Rogue asked, not actually believing that the joking statement he had made earlier that week had actually come true. "Ah thought yah were jus' jokin' 'bout that."

"I was," Ranma admitted, swallowing a large bite of his sandwich. "I honestly didn't expect anythin' like that ta happen, but after Dante's little speech, it clicked inta place."

"So are yah completely over it now, sugah?" Rogue asked, sliding closer to the boy; she wobbled slightly, and her hands gripped hard on the bark underneath.

"Mostly," Ranma answered, unconsciously slipping an arm around her waist to steady her. "My powers may help me learn stuff faster and make me stronger, and I still hate that, but I wouldn'ta learned none of it if I didn't love the Art."

Rogue smiled, enjoying the feel of his arm around her waist - she'd known pretending to almost fall would work. "That 'passion' yer teacher mentioned?"

"Yeah," Ranma nodded, finishing off the last of his sandwich and gave a quick glance to the ground below. "I worked hard ta get where I am, and if I hadn't had that dedication, I never woulda wanted ta work that hard in the first place."

"Yeah," Rogue said, giving him a sultry smile and turning his head to face hers. "Ah coulda toldja yer 'passion' could accomplish lotsa things."

The pigtailed boy shivered at the feel of her lips brushing against his as she spoke. A slight nervousness began to rise in his stomach, but he quickly squashed it down; he wasn't in Nerima, and hadn't been for several months now. No one here was going to hurt him for responding to affection.

His eyes darted towards the ground again, and he gulped. "Hey, Rogue?" He whispered, removing his arm from her waist. "Uh, I gotta run quick."

"What? Hey!" Rogue protested, but Ranma had already left the tree and made his way to the school rooftop. "What in the world has gotten inta that boy?" she muttered, looking down at the ground below them. She frowned as she realized what had caused him to flee.

Standing below her was a very familiar redhead, her arms crossed beneath her breasts and her foot tapping impatiently. Rogue couldn't see her face, but she was certain Jean's expression was as agitated as her body language. Pressing herself closer against the tree to give her more cover - which was a good thing, as Jean's head was darting every which way, and could very well point in her direction - Rogue wondered what was wrong with the girl.

Utilizing the skills Ranma had been teaching her in their private sessions - which had been focused on stealth as of late - the southern girl crept closer to the redhead, making as little noise as possible.

"Dammit," she heard Jean mutter softly; Rogue had to strain her ears to hear it. "Where is he? He usually eats right here... Not in the lunchroom, not at the picnic tables, not here..."

Rogue's eyes narrowed. Ranma was the only 'He' who ever ate under this tree, so it was quite easy for her to figure out who Jean was looking for. Was this why he'd wanted to eat in the tree instead of under it? What could the telepath want him for, and why would he be hiding from her because of it?

"Is he hiding from me?" Jean whimpered piteously. "How could he do that when he knows how badly I need him..."

Her eyes narrowed to razor-thin slits, Rogue considered dropping to the ground and confronting the other girl about what she was talking about; she already had to deal with Melinda - who had gotten a big advantage over her, having three classes with the boy every morning. Rogue was not going to allow another woman - especially not Jean Grey - to try and steal away her man.

"Wait!" She heard Jean exclaim with a snap of her fingers. "Maybe he's eating on the roof!" Not waiting a second longer, the telekinetic sped off.

Swinging down from the branch she'd been on, Rogue released her grip and landed softly on the grass below. Casting suspicious eyes in the direction Jean had ran off in, Rogue resolved to get to the bottom of what was going on between Ranma and Jean. The pigtailed boy had already said he couldn't say anything, but that didn't mean Rogue couldn't keep a very close eye on the redhead. And if she saw something she didn't like...

Rogue cracked her knuckles and grinned humourlessly. Well, then they would find out which of them had gotten the most out of Ranma's training.

* * *

"I have a right to see my daughter!"

"You have no parental rights here, Mr. Smith." Xavier replied calmly. "Tabitha's mother has left very explicit instructions in regards to your visitation." Turning away from Mr. Smith, Xavier directed his wheelchair away from the man in a blatant show of dismissal. "And, as you were not invited and seem intent on causing a disruption in my home, I will have to ask you to leave."

"You think I don't know what kinda secret freakshow you're runnin' here?" Mr. Smith said, his voice laced with subtle threats as he made a sweeping gesture around the room.

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Is there a point you are trying to make, Mr. Smith?"

"Yeah," Tabitha's father growled, stepping forward and getting right into Xavier's face; his large hands took a tight hold on the man's shoulders to keep him from moving. "I see Tabitha now, or I'll have news crews here within the hour. I'm sure there's any number of reporters who would love nothin' more than to break a story as big as this." He gave Xavier an infuriating smirk, "You make the call."

There was a soft tapping on his own shoulder a few seconds later, and Mr. Smith's head whipped to the side to see a short, blue-skinned girl wearing damp clothes and staring at him with solid yellow eyes.

"Ah-ah-ah," Ranma said with a shake of her head, red pigtail scattering droplets of water in every direction. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Let the grown-ups chat, girl," Mr. Smith answered with a sneer, turning his head back towards the uncooperative professor. "Well, whaAAAHH!"

"That was the friendly warnin'," Ranma said calmly, digging her fingertips painfully into Mr. Smith's shoulder. "This-" she pulled the man away from Xavier, "-is yer second warnin'. Ya might notice it's a bit less friendly."

"I'd listen to the kid," Logan growled as he entered the room. "Otherwise, I might have to relocate those hands," he raised both fists and extended all six of his claws with a metallic '_SNIKT'_. "Into a jar on my dresser."

"I just want to talk to my daughter is all," Mr. Smith claimed defensively, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender as he pulled away from both the professor and the pigtailed girl.

The front door opened at that moment, capturing the attention of all four as Tabitha and Kurt walked in. Seeing her father, Tabitha let out an agitated sigh.

Several minutes later, father and daughter were standing alone in one of the mansion's studies, the latter facing the fireplace with her arms crossed in anger. She rubbed her arms discretely, finding herself cold despite the roaring fire before her.

"Just hear me out," Mr. Smith pleaded, rubbing his sore shoulder; that freakish blue girl was a lot stronger than she looked.

"I heard you before!" Tabitha shouted, spinning around and glaring. "You want me to come home and pretend we're a family again!"

"We do what you to come home, really," Mr. Smith, slipping his hands behind his back in a calculated maneuver to appear non-threatening. Tabitha discretely rolled her eyes - yet another one of his practiced courtroom gestures. "Soon but, after things have settled down a little and we get the creditors off our back."

"I knew it!" She thrust an accusatory finger right in his face. "All you want is money!"

"Just enough to get back on our feet, that's all," Mr. Smith told her, placing his hands comfortingly on her shoulders.

Tabitha glared at him and shoved him away from her. "Well, you're barking up the wrong tree! I don't have any, zip, nada!"

"Yeah, but you can get it," Her father told her, casually walking over to the mantle and picking up the antique clock that was upon it.

"So that's all I am to you," Tabitha growled; she'd seen this coming a mile away, and yet it had still hit her like a ton of bricks. "Someone to blast down walls and doors for you!"

Tabitha became angrier as her father paid more attention to the clock - likely trying to determine how much he could fence it for - than to her objections. "What is it this time," She demanded, snatching the clock away from him and setting it back on the mantle. "A-an electronics store? The Bayville bank? Uncle Frost's Olde Style Donut Shoppe?"

"Tabby," Mr. Smith pleaded, sticking his hands in his pockets. "This money - it's more for your mom than for me. You know she's had it pretty rough these last couple of years."

Tabitha's shoulders slumped and her anger instantly cooled; it was a dirty trick, mentioning her mother, and only made dirtier by the fact that it was more likely than not true. "I-if I do this for you," She sighed, trying to again to rub some feeling into her arms. "Then that's it. You leave, and I never see you again, right?" She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye to see how the idea of losing all contact with his only daughter would affect him.

"If that's the way you want it sweetie," Mr. Smith agreed easily, not noticing Tabitha squeezing her eyes shut tightly and grimacing at his casual acceptance of the deal. The look was gone the instant he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll give you the details tonight at the school carnival, okay? I'll be waitin' for you."

Tabitha said nothing as her father left the room; her hands continued to move along her limbs, but she still felt completely numb.

* * *

"So why are ya blue, pigtail?" Logan asked after the pair had 'escorted' Mr. Smith out of the mansion - Ranma feeling a particular amount of pride at how the man had flinched away from her. "I thought yer image inducer made ya look less Smurfy when ya changed forms."

"Huh?" Ranma said, looking down at her bare arms as if noticing for the first time. "That's weird... oh!" She grinned sheepishly and held down one of the buttons on the watch-like device; a few seconds later the image inducer beeped and covered it's wearer with the preselected hologram. "Forgot ta turn it on this mornin'," She said with an embarrassed chuckle, scratching at the base of her pigtail.

"Is the reason yer female right now in any way connected with the fact that the fountain out front appears ta be smashed?" Logan asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Yep," Ranma admitted. "Not my fault, though - Sam was doin' his 'Cannonball' thing, lost control and smashed headlong inta the fountain. An' despite bein' with Rogue, Scott and Kit, I was the only one that got wet." She snorted, adding, "Figures."

"Damn," Logan muttered. "Fourth freakin' thing that kid's broken this week..." His grumbling continued as he stalked off, intending on locating the Guthrie boy and 'volunteering' him to help with the fountain repair.

The pigtailed girl ignored Logan's angry muttering, having grown quite used to it by this point. Bounding up the stairs, Ranma dropped her book bag off in her room, then leapt off the balcony into the backyard, landing gracefully on her feet.

Three nanoseconds later she was bowled over by an enthusiastic Scotswoman.

"Ranma!" Rahne cried happily, her smile threatening to split her face in two as she straddled the pigtailed girl's stomach. "Ye said we could 'ave a fight today, remember?" Blinking, Rahne's grin faded into a frown as she realized there were two large protrusions on what should have been a sculpted masculine chest. "Ranma, why are ye a girl right now? Change back!"

"Gah?" Ranma managed to sputter out, blinking the spots away from her eyes. "Oh, right. I said we'd have a match, didn't I?"

"Mmhmm," Rahne nodded cutely. She had smelled the boy the moment he'd landed in the yard and her instincts had gotten the better of her. She'd been quite surprised to find the boy she had been expecting was currently in female form - which, while attractive, wasn't what Rahne wanted. "But first ye hav' ta change back."

"Right," Ranma muttered, and moments later shifted back into his birth form - much to Rahne's private delight.

"All right," Ranma said, springing to his feet after Rahne had removed herself from his stomach. "What conditions d'ya wanna set?"

"No powers," Rahne replied, stepping a few feet back to put some distance between the two of them. Her blood was burning in anticipation; she hadn't had a good fight since she'd left Scotland, and she just knew Ranma would be able to give her one. "Special attacks allowed. Other than that..."

"Anything goes," Ranma finished with a cocky grin. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he fell into his usual deceptive non-stance. "Ya ready?"

Rahne grinned and slipped into an almost identical stance, her hands held casually behind her back. "When ye are," she said casually.

Seeing Ranma's slight nod, Rahne's form suddenly blurred forward, crossing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Ranma dipped beneath the opening punch, then twisted around a pair of rapid-fire kicks. Deflecting a another jab, Ranma thrust a palm strike at her midsection, which Rahne jumped over.

Twisting in midair, the Scottish girl executed a perfect butterfly kick, missing her opponent with the first foot but grazing him with the second. Landing on her feet, Rahne vaulted forward, aiming a flying knee-strike at the boy's jaw.

Bending backwards and letting the strike fly over his head, Ranma sprung back upwards and spun around, catching the girl in the back with a high reverse roundhouse.

Grunting, Rahne rolled with the blow, landing on the ground in a crouch, then surging forward again, unleashing a flurry of fists in Ranma's face, each and every one of which were blocked with ease. A side-kick aimed at his thigh was caught as planned, and Rahne used her own momentum to pull her other leg into the air, catching him in the side of the head with a second kick.

Moving with the blow, Ranma twisted around and threw the girl upwards by the leg he held captive. Not waiting for her to land, Ranma leapt up after her, throwing a set of lighting fast jabs into her stomach. "You're better than ya let on," he commented.

"And yer holdin' back," Rahne retorted, blocking most of the punches. Grabbing him by the wrist, Rahne pulled the boy in close and delivered a solid headbutt to his chest. Rolling forward into the move, the Scottish girl's legs delivered simultaneous twin blows the base of his neck, sending him flying towards the ground.

"Of course I am," Ranma smirked, landing in a crouch, then shooting back into the air and catching the falling Rahne in a midair tackle. Flipping forward and building up momentum, he flung the girl towards the ground.

Rahne twisted to absorb the impact, creating a ten-foot long furrow in the ground. Pushing herself up, she saw Ranma landing on his feet at her impact point, rubbing at the base of his neck. "Ororo is gonna pitch a fit when she sees what ye did ta the yard." She scolded, and slipping into a defensive stance. Baring her teeth in a wolfish grin, Rahne eyed her opponent with a thinly veiled mixture of admiration and desire; he was even better than she'd thought! Even her late master Aconite had never pushed her this hard in so short a time.

"Tell her Sam did it," Ranma said, grinning widely. She was a lot better than she'd made herself out to be; he could see a blending of more than six separate styles in her attacks, as well as one he didn't recognize. "He's caused enough collateral damage 'round here lately no one will question it."

Both combatants charged forward and began exchanging a flurry of high-speed attacks, the unspoken temporary cease-fire now over.

Rahne's felt herself being pushed to the limits as she tried to dodge or block the whirlwind of blows while simultaneously delivering her own. Digging deep, she tapped into her inner energies and increased her speed a fraction. Her abilities with ki weren't the most extensive - Aconite had passed on before he could teach her more than the basics, the Lord rest his soul - but she was easily capable of boosting her physical abilities for short periods.

The pigtailed boy felt the small surge of ki and saw the Scottish girl moving slightly faster; nodding in approval, he upped his own speed, matching her blow for blow. "So ya can use ki," he commented, weaving through a rapid succession of jabs and lashing out with a palm strike to the stomach.

"Not very well," Rahne admitted, taking the palm strike and jumping over a hook kick. Retaliating with a spin kick, which was dodged, Rahne landed on the ground and shot out with a leg sweep.

Growling as more and more of her attacks were dodged or deflected, Rahne flipped back and took a half second to collect herself, focusing the totality of her strength and ki. Rushing forward, she let herself be struck with a spin kick in the side; using the force from the blow, Rahne spun around, striking the boy with a reverse crescent kick. Spinning with the move, she struck again with the other leg, then a third time. Using the built-up momentum, Rahne somersaulted forward into the air, her extended left leg blurred by speed and the blue grow that had sprung up around it.

"TWISTED FANG!" She cried out, her leg descending in a high-speed blur and landing a powerful blow first against Ranma's shoulder, then down his chest as he attempted to pull back.

Ranma grunted as he felt the blow land with the full force of a sledgehammer, having not timed his dodge correctly due to being momentarily distracted by the shout. Jumping backward, Ranma ignored the pain in his shoulder and the massive tear in his favourite black t-shirt, giving Rahne a grin. "Nice technique," He commented, blurring forward and sending a few low-speed punches to test her defenses; she looked rather worn after using the 'Twisted Fang'. "Shoutin' the name was kinda dumb, though."

Breathing heavily, Rahne was barely able to block the blows, her body too worn to do anything more than defend at the moment. Despite how much the technique had drained her, the Scottish girl was grinning widely. "First time I ever pulled it off," She admitted, bending backwards under a roundhouse, then flipping backwards and landing in a defensive stance.

"Well then," Ranma commented, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. "Let's celebrate!" Rahne's body erupted in pain as Ranma's fists blurred to the point of near-invisibility, striking her with several hundred light blows in the span of three seconds. The blows barely hurt, to tell the truth - but in some cases, Rahne realized and she fell to her knees, breathing heavily from exhaustion and pain, quantity made up for quality.

Looking up, Rahne saw Ranma standing over her with a hand extended, the triumphant smirk on his face making her heart flutter. Smiling, she took it and let the pigtailed boy pull her to her feet. "Amaguriken," he said arrogantly. "Fast enough ta grab chestnuts roastin' on an open fire without gettin' burned. Figured it was only fair ta use one of mine, since ya used one of yours."

"Thank ye," Rahne said softly, turning her head away from him to hide her blush. That had been the best fight she'd ever had, even better than the sparring matches with her old teacher. He might not have gone all out, but he didn't go easy on her - to the wolf side of her psyche, he had effectively proved his dominance and deserving of his status as pack alpha. "I was afraid ye might go easy on me at first."

"Yer a lot better than ya made yerself out ta be," He told her, rubbing at the spot on his shoulder where Rahne's Twisted Fang had landed. Looking down, he noticed his shirt now had a wide tear in it. "Damn, ya tore my shirt with that Twisty Fang thing..."

"Twisted Fang" Rahne corrected, slipping an arm around his waist to 'support' herself after an 'accidental' stumble. "An' it was only s'posed ta hit yuir shoulder. That torn shirt is yuir own fault for dodgin' backwards. "

"Ya never told me that ya could visibly manifest ki," Ranma commented, pulling his torn shirt over his head. "The only reason that attack connected so well is 'cause I was surprised ta see yer leg glowin' blue."

"My leg was glowin'?" Rahne blinked, looking down at the shapely appendage in surprise. Why hadn't she noticed that?

"Yeah," Ranma nodded, giving her a look. "You didn't know?"

"I 'ave never before made my ki visibly manifest durin' an attack," Rahne murmured. "I can make an aura, but beyond that..." She looked up at him, a pleading fervor burning in her eyes. "Can ye teach me? I don't know much about how ta use ki, but I want ta know more! Please?"

"I suppose I could..." Ranma replied, tossing his shredded shirt over his shoulder. "I was planning on doin' some extra ki trainin' anyway. Let's grab a snack and work out the details."

"And that, kids," Ranma declared as he turned around. "Is why we are the ones teachin' you." Sticking his hands in his pockets, Ranma strode back into the mansion with an arrogant swagger; Rahne followed behind him at a more sedate pace, moderately embarrassed for not having noticed Bobby, Roberto, Amara and Jubilee standing twenty feet away with expressions of awe.

"Showoff," Jubilee huffed, turning up her nose at the pigtailed boy and walking away, ignoring the excited discussion that had erupted among the other three. Like hell she was going to help feed that jerk's ego.

* * *

**End Chapter Fifteen, Part One.**

* * *

Quick Note: As stated above, this is part one of Chapter Fifteen. Part Two will be posted Tuesday, or possibly earlier, if I get a lot of reviews. Wink wink.

More thorough notes will be posted at the chapter's actual finale, which is the carnival consistently alluded to throughout the chapter


	16. Chapter 15, Part Two

**Evolution 1/2**

* * *

Disclaimer: I still don't own nothin'.

Note: This is part two of Chapter Fifteen. See Part One for the explanation as to why the chapter is split up.

**Added note (8/10/08): **There is now a forum for the story; Gopherpedia: A Big Fat Guide to Evolution One Half. Lots of stuff planned, most of which I don't ke mentioning right now. Stop on by if you like.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen - Part Two

* * *

Pulling his convertible into an empty space, Scott shut off the engine and looked over at the blonde in the passenger seat. "Here we are," He said, giving her a smile that he hoped shown none of the nervousness he was feeling

Emma smiled back before turning her gaze towards the carnival, the festivities already in full swing. Bright lights shone up into the sky, waving back and forth in slow arcs to let people miles away know an event was occurring. Numerous rides could be seen along the fairground, spinning and swinging and rotating with speeds designed to thrill and in some cases, nauseate. Uptempo carnival music blared from every speaker, and the muffled shouts of booth operators taunting and teasing passers by could be heard in the background.

The pair stepped out of the car and joined the shortest entrance line they could find. Glancing at Scott out of the corner of her eye, Emma smiled again. "Did you bring your wallet?"

"Uh, yeah..."

"Well, you won't need it," Emma replied, slipping an arm through one of his. "Like I said before, I'm paying for everything. Money is no object."

"Right," Scott said, chuckling nervously.

"Why are you so on edge?" Emma asked, giving his arm a quick squeeze. "It's not like I'm going to bite..." she trailed off and gave him a saucy wink. "Not until the third date, at least."

"Sorry," Scott apologized distractedly, having spotted Jean inside the ground with Duncan and the rest of the populars. Emma followed his gaze, a small frown crossing over her face as upon seeing he was staring at another woman she didn't know, but had seen him in the company of in the past.

"You know," She teased, pulling his attention back to where it belonged, on her. "It's rather impolite to be checking out other girls while on a date."

"Oh, sorry," Scott apologized again, giving Emma his full attention. "That's Jean, she lives at the Institute too." He frowned, giving the redhead another quick look. "She's not looking her best... I'm wondering if she's sick. She should know better than to be here if she is...

"It's sweet that you care so much about your friends," Emma commented, making a mental note to find out as much about the redhead as she could; she didn't want any more potential competition. "But if she's well enough to be here, I'm certain she doesn't need to be looked after." Paying the entrance fee for both of them, Emma grinned widely and pulled Scott inside. "Now come on!" She exclaimed excitedly. "Let's have some fun!"

The blonde pulled the unresisting boy along with her as she raced towards the nearest ride. Despite his concern for Jean, Scott couldn't help but enjoy himself with such an enthusiastic girl on his arm. Waving quickly to Ranma and Rogue as he sped past them, Scott decided not to worry about Jean; she was a big girl, and easily capable of handling herself.

Rogue blinked, watching the pair as the disappeared into the crowd. "That was Scott, right?"

"What was Scott?" Ranma asked, scarfing down his third hot dog. Rogue almost gave him an elbow in the gut, but didn't feel like being covered with half-chewed pork products.

"So," Rogue said, sticking her hands in her pockets as they started walking aimlessly. "Whatta ya wanna do?"

"I dunno," Ranma shrugged, looking around at the carnival's various attractions. "These rides look kinda borin'. Bet I could beat half the games they got here."

"Ya know most of 'em are likely rigged, right?"

"Feh," Ranma snorted. "Don't matter how much they fudge with the odds, Ranma Saotome doesn't lose."

"Well, I think I should like to test that!"

"GAH!" Ranma spun around, dropping into a ready stance. "Dammit, Risty, stop doing that!"

"Make me!" The British girl taunted, sticking out her tongue, the round metal stud stuck through it glinting in the carnival lights. "Rogue never seems to be surprised when I pop in, so perhaps it is merely you who needs to become more observant."

Risty grinned widely as Ranma sputtered. Laughing, she placed a gloved hand over his mouth and gave him a chaste peck on the cheek. "That's why I like you so much, Ranma." She said, an unnoticed glimmer of uncertainty vanishing from her eyes. "You are oh so very easy to tease."

"Whatever," Ranma muttered, giving Risty a glare that lacked any heat; the girl was just too likable to stay mad at for long. "Just quit doin' it."

"I make no promises," Risty replied flippantly, grabbing hold of Ranma's right arm. Rogue grinned and did the same with the left. "Now, Ranma, how about you show a pair of beautiful, elegant ladies a good time? This will, of course, include winning us many large, useless prizes and then carrying them while we talk about you behind you back."

"There ain't no point in arguin', sugah," Rogue threw in, giving his arm an affectionate squeeze. "Resistance is futile."

* * *

A pair of spotlights waved slowly across the night sky, causing Kurt to sigh again in dejection. Perched on the railing of his balcony, the German boy had been watching the lights and imagining how much fun his friends were having at the carnival - being grounded sucked. Not that he blamed the professor for doing it, as he was easily able to admit he and Tabitha had gotten a little carried away with their hijinx that morning.

Kurt rubbed the back of his head, wincing as he touched the bump that had developed there; okay, maybe they'd gotten more than a little carried away.

"Heya Blue," Tabitha's grinning face suddenly sprung into view.

"Gah!" Kurt exclaimed, falling backwards in surprise.

"What's up?' She asked casually, pulling herself up onto the balcony, swinging her legs over the side and swinging them lazily.

"My heart rate for one," Kurt replied, calming down and blushing slightly at the saucy half-lidded gaze the blonde was directing towards him. "How did you get up here?"

"Oh, it was easy," Tabitha said with an easy smile. "I climbed. Listen," she glanced over her shoulder at them, "I don't coop up well, so I'm sneakin' out. Wanna come?" She leaned forward slightly, giving him a look that dared him to turn her down.

"Vhat?" Kurt said incredulously, pushing himself to his feet. "Are you crazy? Vhere vould ve go?"

"Are you kidding?" Tabitha asked, turning sideways and raising a hand in an extravagant gesture. "The carnival! Where else would we go? C'mon, you could bamf us over there and back before anyone would even know!"

"Uh..." Kurt said nervously, glancing upward and surprising himself that he was actually considering the idea. "I don't know Tabitha..."

"C'mon, Agent Double-O Fuzzy," Tabitha pleaded, giving Kurt her cutest look. "Just for a few minutes! We'll go on one ride, that's all, promise!"

Seeing that Kurt still hadn't folded, Tabitha decided to bring out the big guns. "Pleeeeease?" She said, tilting her head, batting her eyelashes and giving him her best smile.

It took a few moments for Kurt to recover from the 'attack', and he actually found himself about to give in. "No vay!" He finally declared, shaking his head rapidly to clear the fog her smile had created. "Nu-uh, no can do!"

* * *

"WAHOOOOO!!" Kurt cried out, laughing ecstatically as the wind ripped through his hair. Similar noises of delight came from the blonde next him in the car, one of eight spinning open-air compartments connected by thick bars that met at a rapidly spinning center axis. Both mutants clutched tightly on the safety bar to avoid the risk of being flung out of the contraption.

"Wanna make it go even faster?" Tabitha yelled to the boy next to her, her voice lost to all other due to the rapid gyration of the Spider-Whirl ride.

"Yeah!" Kurt shouted eagerly in response. "How?"

Saying nothing, Tabitha smirked devilishly and formed a small ball of energy between her fingers. Waiting for the precise moment, she tossed it into the control booth just as their car spun by. The time bomb exploded the moment it hit the panel, sending up a massive shower of sparks and throwing the Spider-Whirl out of control.

The velocity increased dramatically within seconds, and the shouts of enjoyment from the other patrons were soon mixed with cries of fear. The screams attracted the attention of the operator, who pulled his eyes away from the legs of two attractive women to take a look behind him. His coffee spewed from his mouth upon seeing the ride was going much faster than it was supposed to, and the orange-vested man darted into the booth. Noticing the smoke and the destroyed controls, he raced over to the power unit and pulled both plugs. Emitting a sigh of relief as the machine began to slowly decrease in speed, the man winced upon seeing several queasy patrons stumbling away from the contraption.

"Woooah..." Tabitha moaned, clutching her stomach as she attempted to walk away. Kurt was doing the same, and both were rather unsuccessful as they walked directly into each other, falling to the ground in a fit of nauseated laughter.

"C'mon," Tabitha said a few minutes later, pulling Kurt to his feet. "Let's have some fun!"

"You know," Nabiki commented, taking a lick of her ice cream cone and observing the numerous transactions going on around her. "We really should have thought of some way to exploit the potential profit of this little fund-raiser."

"Like how?" Lance asked, swiping a corn dog from an inattentive vendor. "Think we should have gone to Kelly and asked to set up our own booth?"

"I thought about that," Nabiki admitted. "But decided against it. I doubt the administration would allow any students - let alone us, with our reputation - to run a booth without some kind of supervision, which would have seriously impeded any effort we made to skim off the top. Not to mention there would be no guarantee of turning a profit even if we did get away with it."

"What if we represented a fake charity?" Pietro chimed in, giving an appreciative eye to a pair of brunettes walking by in very short skirts. "Like the 'Brotherhood of Bayville Foundation For A Better Life' or something."

"'A Better Life' for us, of course," Lance interjected.

Nabiki shook her head. "Too risky. And once again, no certainty of profit."

The conversation was put on hold as two firecracker-sized explosions went off nearby, and seconds later two boys ran past, faces red with embarrassment as they struggled to hold up their destroyed pants. The three mutants watched them run into the crowd silently; shooting each other a look, each of them shrugged and collectively decided to ignore it.

"Eh," Lance shrugged. "We don't always have to take every opportunity to make money. Ain't like we're strapped for cash or anything."

"An excellent point," Nabiki agreed, smirking as she spotted a pair of familiar faces. "I think tonight would be far better spent in pursuit of amusement rather than power or profit."

"So..." Pietro summarized. "We get the night off?"

"Yes," The brunette told them. "Go off and do whatever you want. I'm going to go interrupt the little 'date' between Summers and the Frost girl."

Lance raised an eyebrow . "I thought you were just messing around with Summers," He commented. "Don't tell me your actually interested in him."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nabiki said dryly. "I merely happen to believe that he can do better than a stuck-up rich little girl." Not sparing her teammates another word, Nabiki drifted off into the crowd.

Lance and Pietro exchanged a glance. "Is it possible to do better than a total hottie like Frost?" The latter asked.

"Eh," Lance shrugged, his attention already diverted by a certain brunette that had wandered into his field of vision. "Not my type. I prefer brunettes."

Ignoring Pietro - who was now shaking his head as another of his teammates went off to flirt with the enemy - Lance casually made his way over to a nearby booth. Leaning against the side, he silently observed the brown-haired girl that was staring intently at a standing row of glass milk bottles. Extending her tongue out of the corner of her mouth - an expression Lance found overwhelmingly cute - Kitty lightly tossed the softball in a slow underhanded arc.

The small white orb sailed through the air in a direct course with the furthest bottle... and landed on the ground, two feet short of the mark. "Aw, man..." Kitty pouted, stomping a foot against the ground in frustration.

Glancing again at the game, Lance pulled a wad of money out of his pocket, strolled over to Kitty's side, and slapped a few bills down on the counter. "Let me have a shot."

"Ah, so you wish to try your hand at my little game," The barker's smile was wide yet failed to reach his eyes. "Well, my boy, all you have to do i-"

"Toss the ball, make it land on one of the milk bottles without falling off or knocking it over," Lance finished disinterestedly. "Just give me however many tries five bucks will get me."

"Very well," The barker replied, tossing Lance a softball. "Remember, the further the bottle, the better the prize!"

Nodding absently, Lance glanced at Kitty out of the corner of his eye and held back a smirk at the questioning expression on her face. Turning his eyes back to the game, he frowned slightly, wondering how the hell he was supposed to win this; a small, well-timed seismic vibration might have some success, but there was no guarantee. Not to mention Kitty would very likely not be amused nor impressed with him if he tried to cheat.

Which meant there was only one way to do this. Taking a deep breath and eying the target, Lance pulled his arm back slowly, and in one fluid, underhanded motion, the ball was floating through the air in a graceful arc that took it far past each and every one of the standing milk bottles. Bouncing off the wall, it landed against the ground with a dead thud.

"Ouch," The barker commented, wincing in an exaggerated manner. "Missed each an' every one of 'em. Two more chances left," he added, tossing the boy another ball with a flick of his wrist.

Ignoring the man - and Kitty poorly-smothered giggle - Lance caught the second ball and aimed again. Trying to mentally calculate the proper trajectory of his next toss, he gave up after several seconds, forced to admit that math was far from his best subject. Taking another deep breath, Lance tried again.

"Close," The barker noted with a frown as the ball nearly clipped one of the bottles. "But not quite cloe enough, son. "

Taking the third and final ball in hand, Lance held back a sigh. Giving his neck a crack, he tossed the last ball without thinking about where it was supposed to go; Kitty would at least appreciate the gesture, right?

The eyes of all three widened as the sphere sailed through the air in a slow and perfect arc, practically floating as it landing directly on the lip of the furthest bottle. Lance felt a quick twinge of anxiety as it wobbled a little, then let out a deep sigh of relief as the ball settled firmly on the bottle.

"Excellent job, son," The barker's grin was a complete fabrication, his eyes betraying his obvious irritation. "A perfect throw, if I do say so myself, and on the most difficult bottle in the game. For that," he gestured reluctantly towards a grouping of large stuffed animals hanging from the ceiling, "You may have your pick of one of these fine prizes!"

Lance gave the stuffed animals a disinterested glance. "I don't care about stupid toys," he replied. Gesturing towards the girl next to him, he added, "Just give her whichever one she wants."

"THAT ONE!" Kitty exclaimed, pointing towards a stuffed animal about the size of a large housecat. "That totally cute purple dragon right there!"

Retrieving the prize, the barker handed it to the girl - who grabbed it from the man and squeezed it tightly to her chest - and gave Lance a smirk and a knowing wink. "An excellent choice, my dear. Now," He gave the boy a challenging look. "Would you like to test yourself again? A second victory like the one moments ago could net you an even grea-"

"Nah," Lance interrupted, turning away with a dismissive wave. "I'm bored with this now." Smiling to himself, he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away without another word. He managed to make it several feet before a small hand gently grabbed his arm.

"Lance," Kitty said, beaming up at the boy, her cheeks coloured a faint pink. Held against her chest with the other arm was the purple dragon, it's bright yellow eyes seeming to glow in the carnival lights. "Thank you. You have, like, no idea how much I appreciate you winning Lockheed for me."

"Don't worry about it," Lance replied with as casual a shrug as he could manage, doing an adequate job considering the size and number of butterflies in his stomach. "Well, have fun with your toy. I'll catch ya later."

"Wait," Kitty added, not letting go of his arm. "I was here with some people, but they, like, kind of wandered off. Do... do you wanna hang out or something?"

"Why not?" Lance replied with, a bright grin completely destroying his attempted aloofness. "Sounds like fun."

* * *

"No way!" Rogue breathed, her eyes growing so wide they nearly popped out of her skull. She stopped in her tracks and spun to face the British girl walking next to her, not even noticing as the heap of carnival prizes behind them nearly collided with the pair. "Uh-uh, no way! There ain't no chance in hell any word of that story's true!"

"Every last word." Risty replied smugly, looking her friend square in the eye. "I met him after show, he signed it, we went into his dressing roo-"

"Nu-uh!" Rogue shook her head again in disbelief. The large pile of prizes next to them wobbled slightly, accompanied by muffled cursing neither happened to noticed. "Ah don't believe ya for a second!"

"I have proof!" Risty countered, defiantly placing her hands on her hips, challenging her friend's doubt. "Right now! I'll take you back to my host-family's flat and show you! It's in my room right now."

The mound of stuffed animals and other prizes began tilting dangerously to the side as the two girls stared each other down. Matters weren't helped at all by the sudden explosion of a nearby popcorn cart, sending shards of glass through the pile and severing the head off of a stuffed cartoon ferret.

More muttering and intense cursing could be heard as the pile straightened itself out, all of which was ignored by the girls. Finally, Rogue gave her friend a sharp nod and said, "Ahright, let's go."

"What?" Risty blinked, taking a step back in surprise. "Right now? And miss the rest of the carnival?"

"We've ahready done everythin' worth doin'," Rogue replied with a smirk. "Why? Are ya tryin' t'back out now? Ah thought the proof was 'ready an' waitin''?"

"Oh, it is luv," Risty shot back, turning abruptly towards the exit. "Come along then, my auto is just out here." The pair walked with a determined gait towards the nearest exit, ignoring the squeaky-voiced carnival worker offering to stamp their hands for re-entry. The Pile o'Prizes followed along with them, managing to keep up rather easily despite it's size and lack of any form of sensory organs.

The pile briefly stopped by the carnival worker, and a fist pushed it's way out. The carnival worker stared at the hand for several seconds, then dumbly stamped the back of it.

"How'd ya get a car so quick?" Rogue asked as the thought suddenly occurred to her. "Ain't ya only been in tha country 'bout two weeks?"

"It belongs to my host family's kid," Risty said, giving the vehicle a look of obvious distaste, and despite the dim lights of the school parking lot, Rogue could see why. The car had obviously seen better days, and all of them no doubt more than a decade prior.

"We agreed in advance that we could drive each other's cars as long as we took good care of them." The British girl continued, fishing her keys from her pocket. "He by far got the better end of the deal, cruising around Manchester in my cherry-red top-of-the-line 2007 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, while I have to drag around his puke-green, working-only-through-divine-intervention 1987 Ford Tempo."

"It's green?" Rogue asked, leaning in for a closer look; she could almost see a tinge of sea-green beneath the dark red-brown of rust.

"It's the kind of car Jesus would have driven," Risty added, selecting a piece of bent wire from her keyring and slipping it into the trunk lock. After a moment of jimmying and cursing, the trunk hatch sprang open with an audible groan. "If Jesus had been an alcoholic in the 80's who held frequent coke parties in the back seat."

Pushing the lid of the trunk open completely, Risty glanced over at the prize-pile - one of the legs underneath which was tapping it's foot impatiently - and shot it a wide grin. "Alright, Ranma," she said sweetly. "You can set them down."

A loud sigh of relief was heard, and the pile collapsed, dozens of stuffed animals and other winnings scattering around the form of the previously-hidden pigtailed boy. Giving his neck a crack, he shot a brief glare at the girl, who reacted with only a bright, sunny smile.

"Thank you ever so much," Risty's saccharine tones did little to reduce the glare he gave her, but the girl obviously cared little for his ire.

"Yeah," Ranma deadpanned, casting his gaze over the stuffed animals acattered around him. "Ya plannin' on doin' anythin' with these things, or did I win them for nothin' other than yer own amusement?"

"A little of both," Rogue replied, sharing a grin with Risty as both girls began to sort through the pile. After picking out several choice items each and putting them into the rear compartment - as well as several in the backseat, which Risty claimed she intended to send back to England for friends.

"An' what 'bout the rest of 'em?" The pigtailed boy asked, bending down to pick up a stuffed panda, idly noting that it looked remarkably similar to his father.

"That's your cut," Risty answered, grunting in frustration as she made several attempts slam the trunk closed. "You can do whatever-" she paused, letting out a low growl as she forced her entire weight on the hatch, finally forcing it shut. "-you want with them."

"Ain't like they're gonna fit into that car..." He commented, peering through one of the back windows. "Heck, looks like I ain't gonna fit in that car."

"Oh," Risty blinked, wiping a line of sweat from her forehead. "You're not coming, I'm afraid. My host parents don't allow me to have boys over after 6 pm."

"Wait, Ranma can't come?" Rogue said, frowning and looking up at the boy; she didn't want to just up and leave him alone like this...

"Oops," Risty grinned weakly, tugging at her collar. "Hehe... did I forget to mention that part?"

"Ah'm pretty sure Ah'd have recalled it," Rogue deadpanned. "Ah don't know if Ah wanna go if Ranma can't-"

"It's cool, Rogue," The pigtailed boy broke in. "I need to get back to tha Institute anyway. Trainin' and stuff, y'know?"

"Yeah, but-"

"See, the boy is fine with it Rogue," Risty said, removing the coathanger-antenna and stringing it through the window - which was either open a crack, or had a large hole in it; Rogue wasn't able to tell.

"Now," she continued, her tongue slipping out of her mouth as she worked to maneuver the hanger into the right position, then pulled sharply. A loud click was heard, and Risty grinned triumphantly as the door swung open. "Let us be on our way and leave your boy to do his own thing."

"Ya sure it's fine with ya?" Rogue asked, shooting Ranma another glance. "Ah don't wanna jus' leave ya here-"

"I toldja I'm fine with it, Rogue," Ranma said, flashing her the cheesy grin that never failed to make her flush. "Go have fun with British girl."

Smiling, Rogue nodded slowly, giving him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. Letting him go, she waited for Risty to open the passenger door - a much easier task, apparently, now that she was inside - and took a quick glance around the parking lot. Pleased to see Melinda's car was not present - meaning the chances of the blonde being around were slim - Rogue slid inside the car. Reaching up for the seatbelt, she frowned when a sharp pull failed to make it budge. Giving it several hard tugs, Rogue nearly struck her head against the dashboard as it all came loose at once. Holding the full length of the belt in her hands - which now refused to retract - she gave Risty a helpless look. "What's wrong with the seatbelt?"

"Everything, I'm sorry to report," Risty answered, using a screwdriver to adjust the mirrors - the one on the driver's side had a power adjust, but unfortunately it was stuck in a setting designed for someone six inches taller. "Just tie those bungie cords around your waist and chest, and hold on tight to something."

The southern girl gulped nervously, but did as asked, reconciling herself with the knowledge that she'd ridden in many cars in worse shape than this one. She drew in a nervous breath as Risty stuck the key into the ignition, and the beast reluctantly sputtered to life with the grace and dignity of a drunk walking into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting looking for a ride home.

Ranma watched nervously as the car belched a massive amount of exhaust, as if complaining about being awakened from it's slumber, and Risty shot him a grin of triumph that brought to mind the looks on Kurt and Bobby's faces after successfully pulling off a particularly heinous prank. The look on Rogue's face, in contrast, was the look of the one whom the prank had been pulled on.

Giving her a cheerful wave goodbye, he watched the car slowly lurch and bumble it's way out of the parking lot on and onto the city streets. Ranma quickly began collecting the remaining prizes - one of which, a stuffed gopher, he was certain he could find use for - while deciding whether or not to take the rooftops on his way back to the mansion. It had been far too long since he'd traveled in a civilized manner, and it was dark enough that the chances of anyone spotting him were slim.

The pigtailed boy was just about to jump to the nearest rooftop when his stomach let out a low growl. Pondering for a moment, Ranma looked back at the carnival. "I s'pose I could grab one of those corn dogs before I go..." he muttered to himself, turning around.

Before he could take a single step, Ranma suddenly found himself forced to somersault backwards to avoid being struck in the side by the rapid arrival of a small, familiar white car. Reacting instinctively and twisting in mid-air, he managed to land gracefully on the Mini-Cooper's hood, somehow managing to convey a ready position despite his armload of stuffed toys.

"Oh my god, Ranma!" A familiar voice cried out from inside the car. Leaping out of the driver's seat, Melinda raced over to Ranma's side as he hopped down and began checking him over for injuries. "Are you okay? Sorry I almost hit you, you just came out of nowhere it was an accident please forgive me!"

"I'm okay," Ranma replied nervously as Melinda began inspecting parts of him that couldn't possibly have been injured. "Really, I'm fine. Ain't no big deal."

"You sure?" Melinda asked, tearing herself away from 'search for injuries'. "Really, I am sorry. You just kinda surprised me." She blinked, replaying the incident in her head. "Hey, how did you manage to jump like that?"

"So are you just gettin' here?" Ranma asked, quickly changing the subject. "Kinda late, aren't ya?"

"Yeah," Melinda replied, not noticing the sigh of relief he let out at the success of his diversionary tactic. "I had to run some stuff home before I could come here, then I had to listen to my parents give me all the standard rules before they left. They are going on a trip to Quebec to do an inspection of some of the Frost Pharmaceutical labs in the region. Hey, did you win all of those prizes?"

Ranma nodded, surprising himself with how well he had adapted to Melinda's ability to rapid change subjects in mid-conversation. "Yeah, and more actually. These are just the one's Risty and Rogue didn't want."

"Rogue?" Melinda frowned slightly, discretely looking around for either the goth girl or her purple-haired English friend. "Is she here with you?"

"She was," Ranma replied, completely ignorant of the blonde girl's expression. "Her and Risty left a little while ago, though, for some kinda thing I wasn't payin' attention to. I was 'bout to head back to the mansion myself, actually."

"Noooo," Melinda protested, grabbing his arm and flashing him a dazzling smile. "You have to let me make up for almost hitting you with my car. Let me take you on a few rides or something."

"Nah, it ain't neccessary..."

"Okay, fine," Melinda said, giving him a slightly pleading look. "I just want to hang out with you. All of my friends are here with their significant others, and I hate being a third wheel. I wanna have some fun tonight, and carnivals are so much better when you have someone to enjoy them with." She paused, her face breaking out into a sly grin. "Besides, you owe me. It is time to cash in that rain check."

Ranma blinked, then sighed as he recalled the little event from earlier that week, which now seemed like so many months ago. "Yeah, I did bail on ya from the movie, didn't I?" He mused. "I still haven't found the jerk that set us up that time..."

"Damn," The blonde cursed, her smile shifting into a frown. "I was hoping to be having revenge by now, too..." She sighed, then smiled again. "No matter. Come one, let us go have some fun." She paused, then forced herself to add, "I promise, this is not a date."

"It ain't?"

"Nope," Melinda shook her head as she handed the ticket-seller her entrance fee, letting go of Ranma's arm. "Just two friends having a fun time together. Nothin' else. Promise."

A light chuckle escaped from Ranma's throat, and relief seeped into him. He honestly couldn't recall the last time he'd been able to hang out with a girl with no strings attached.

* * *

"Hot damn, I LOVE teleporting!" Tabitha exclaimed, grabbing Kurt in a tight embrace as the pair appeared behind a grouping of trash cans in a puff of dark smoke. "You can just exit a bad scene anytime you want! You are so lucky, Blue!"

"Hey," Kurt grinned, "tossing off those little firecrackers is nothing to groan about."

"Oh, man, are you right on that!" Tabitha declared excitedly, pumping her fist in triumph. "Did you see that last one? Popcorn all over the dude's face, and his girl standing there laughing her ass of at him!"

"That is nothing," Kurt said with a wide grin, pointing towards a nearby exit. "Just look and see who has come back."

Tabitha grew a grin to match his as she noticed their pigtailed housemate and a blonde girl she didn't know walking through the gate, and her eyes twinkled with a desire for petty revenge and mischief. "Well, well well..." She breathed, her eyes meeting with her cohorts, which flared with a similar light. "Looks like we might be able to get in some anonymous payback on Instructor Cutie..."

* * *

Taking a sip of her Diet Pepsi, Nabiki eyed her targets from the edge of the crowd. Patching her mind into the security camera network, she had been able to locate them with relative ease, heading towards the large ferris wheel on the edge of carnival grounds.

'This may take a degree of skilled planning,' the brown-haired cyberpath thought to herself as she easily weaved her way through the bustling crowd. 'All of my cunning, my intelligence and my resources...' a smirk crossed over her face as she came within mere feet of her quarry. 'Or-'

_splash!_ "Hey, watch it!"

'-I could do it the easy way.' "Oh, Ms. Frost!" Nabiki exclaimed, feigning surprise with the skill of a classically-trained thespian. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there!"

"An honest mistake, I am sure," Emma replied drily, staring in dismay at the large dark stain now covering the front of her tight white t-shirt. Shooting a coy glance up at Scott, she continued, "How is it that my clothes always happen to become stained whenever I'm around you?"

Scott was unresponsive, forcing his gaze away from the effects cold liquid had on tight cotton fabrics. "Uh-"

"Don't worry," Emma smiled brilliantly up at him. "I was insightful enough to stow a spare shirt in my gym locker just the other day. If I ask, I'm sure they won't deny me a request to retrieve them."

"Yeah, probably not," Scott mumbled, apparently finding much to be interested in in the grain of the wooden wall to his left. Emma let out a throaty laugh at his reaction, giving the boy a fond look before turning around and disappearing into the crowd.

"You don't suppose she has a spare bra in that gym locker too, do you?" Nabiki shot a raised eyebrow towards the boy, a smirk slipping over her lips.

"Uh..."

"Don't worry about it, cutie," Nabiki said, reaching up to turn his face towards her. "And really, I'm sorry this happened. You didn't get splashed at all, did you?"

"Nah, I'm dry." Scott answered, adjusting his shades nervously. "So what are you and your cronies up to here?" He frowned. "Not planning anything I'll feel obligated to stop, are you?"

"Us?" Nabiki asked, placing a hand on her chest as if shocked. "My friends and I, doing anything immoral? I can't even form a mental image of such a thing."

Scott said nothing, staring at her with a stoic expression.

Nabiki sighed. "No, we aren't doing anything except having a good time. Or trying to," she looked back in the direction Emma had disappeared in. "I would be having a lot more fun if there was someone interesting with me..."

"Alright," Scott said after a moment, his expression returning to normal. "I just had to make sure."

"Right," Nabiki said, shooting him a wry look. "Anyway, since it's my fault your date is currently absent getting a new shirt, let me make it up to you. Have you been on the ferris wheel yet?"

"No, not yet," The boy replied, shaking his head. "Em and I were actually on our way there when we bumped into you."

"Em?" Nabiki commented, raising an eyebrow and smirking mischieviously. "You're calling her 'Em' now? Known the girl a week and you already have a pet name for her?"

Scott fought back a flush, tugging nervously at his collar. "She's just a friend, Nabiki."

"A friend who you happen to be on a date with," Nabiki retorted, pulling a strand of brown hair out of her face. "If you plan to continue this practice of dating and nicknaming friends, I must tell you that calling me 'Biki' will result in severe nickname retaliation."

"Nickname retaliation?"

"I'll call you 'Scottie'. And make numerous requests for you to 'beam me up'."

"Ah, right," Scott winced, flashing back to the grade-school teasing of his youth. "Noted and acknowledged."

"Great," Nabiki replied, crossing her arms and staring up at the rival team leader. "So when are we going out?"

Scott blinked behind his shades. "What? Wh-"

"You acknowledged that we would be dating at some point, and that you would be giving me a nickname," Nabiki explained, her lips pulling back into a sly smile. "When are we going out. I'm willing to go dutch, by the way, which isn't an option I offer to just anyone."

"Wait, when did I say we'd be going out?" Scott asked, raising a hand to his forehead in confusion. "I don't re-"

"Earlier," Nabiki interrupted. "You said it loud and clear. How's next Saturday for you?"

"Saturday?" Scott's head was beginning to hurt. "I'm not doing anything next Saturday w-"

"Great!" Nabiki smiled brightly. "So where are you taking me?"

"I don't know-"

"Dinner and a movie will be fine," Nabiki said, tapping her finger against her lips, considering the options with a quick internet search on what was playing at the local Multiplex. "Although I refuse to see anything with Halle Berry in it."

Rubbing his forehead as he tried to comprehend how this had happened, Scott leaned backwards - and was quite fortunate to have a wall behind him - and sighed heavily. "Saturday night... pick you up at eight?"

Nabiki smiled, pushing back the small twinge of guilt she felt at her manner for having convinced him. "Eight works out fine," she replied, leaning in and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Looking forward to it, cutie."

"A-hem."

"Ms. Frost!" Nabiki exclaimed, spinning on her toes to face the blonde and giving her a bright smile. "I see you were able to get your other shirt. I'm sorry again for splashing you; I can be a little clumsy sometimes."

Emma's eyes narrowed at the other girl, but a less than a fraction of a second later, her expression was bright and friendly. "Oh, do not trouble yourself for another second in regards to that little accident, Ms. Tendo!"

"It was a very nice garment," Nabiki commented, her smile never wavering. "I'd be willing to pay for the cleaning costs; it's the least I could do."

"Oh, perish the thought," Emma replied with a wave of her hand. "I'll simply have it couried to the family's personal cleaner. He does wonders and it won't cost a dime."

Both girls said nothing for several moments, locking eyes in a heated staring contest; from his place on the wall, Scott was certain the heat and intensity of their staring contest was coming close to setting his shirt on fire. None of the three noticed the small bang, nor the severed, half-charred plush unicorn head that landed at Emma's feet.

"If you insist," Nabiki finally said. "Well, I believe I have taken up enough of your time, You to enjoy the rest of the carnival."

"You as well," the blonde replied, waving as Nabiki sauntered back into the crowd. A frown fell over her face as soon as the girl was out of sight. "She's a crafty one..." Emma muttered to herself. Turning to her date, she took his hand and pulled him away from the wall. "So what did you two talk about while I was away?"

Staring back at her silently, Scott ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. "I honestly don't know."

Emma gave him a quizzical look, to which the boy merely shrugged helplessy. "Okay..." She said slowly, raising an eyebrow and making a mental note to investigate this later; that girl was up to something. "Are you hungry at all?"

"Hungry?" Scott repeated, his mental faculties slowly returning. "Yeah, I could go for a bite. You wanna get a corn dog?"

Emma made a face. "I don't think so..."

"Cotton candy?" He asked as they began walking away from the ferris wheel, deciding by mutual silent consent not to ride it. "Hot dog? I think they have burgers at that stand over there..."

"I have seen the confections this event is providing," Emma said, taking in a passing meat-on-a-stick vendor and holding back a gag - such a thing would be very unladylike, and she was hoping to impress this boy. "And I believe it would be a fallacy to refer to such as food."

"Well, what they have here is pretty standard carnival food," Scott replied with a shrug, watching as Jean walked by, Duncan at her side but apparently unaware of how much she was fidgeting, her eyes darting around as if she was looking out for something. "Not many other options h-gurk!"

"Which is why we should leave," Emma said brightly, pulling Scott towards the exit. "and go find a nice restaurant. Mel tells me there's a great sushi restaurant up the street, and it's still my treat!"

Scott wasn't sure if he was for or against the idea, but felt he needed to say something, anything, just to assure himself his opinion mattered. Unfortunately, while the words were formed easily in his mind, he found himself unable to shape them with his lips. For the second time that night, Scott found himself being led by the nose, at the hand of a stunning, machiavellian woman with the remains of puppet strings dangling from her fingers.

* * *

"You keep giving away those toys," Melinda observed, a small smile flashing across her lips as she watched the bouncing braids of a little blonde girl, happily squeezing a stuffed yellow rabbit as large as herself, "and I might begin to wonder if you have some kind of Santa Claus complex."

This was the fourth time the pair had stopped to give away a random toy to a hopeful child, and Melinda wasn't sure if she should be amazed at the pigtailed boy's generosity, or annoyed that he hadn't offered her one yet. "And if that is indeed the case," she added, "there are others whom you have known longer, are a lot closer to you, and might appreciate a gift."

"What else am I s'posed t'do with 'em?" Ranma replied with a shrug, appearing not to have heard the thinly-veiled request. Dropping a stuffed armadillo on top of a nearby trash receptacle - and not noticing he had set it on a small ball of glowing energy - the pigtailed boy pretended to forget the object and kept walking. "I don't need the stupid things, an' Rogue an' Risty already picked out the toys they wanted."

"I think it is sweet," She commented, then playfully stuck out her tongue. Behind them a small _'BOOM'_ sounded, reducing the stuffed armadillo to soo many bits of plush and cotton. "Even if said sweetness is unintentional and based upon convenience rather than genuine fondness."

"If I wasn't tryin' ta do somethin' nice," Ranma retorted, returning the gesture, "I'd have just thrown 'em in a dumpster or set 'em on fire in front of a group of cryin' orphans."

"Crying orphans?" Melinda repeated, frowning as the image formed itself in her mind. "Would you be that cruel?"

"Huh? No, of course not."

"What do you have against orphans?"

"I don't got nothin' against orphans!"

"'cause it seems odd you go straight to orphans..."

"They were the first thing ta pop inta my head, that's all!"

"Again, seems odd that crying orphans comes to mind before anything else." Melinda said, absently taking her waist-long braid in hand and stroking it slowly; she knew she shouldn't be doing this to him, but it was just too much fun!

"I ain't gonna win, am I?" Ranma sighed, slumping his shoulders.

"Probably not," Melinda admitted, straining to hold back a smile. Raising a hand to smugly inspect her fingernails, she continued. "Admit you have lost and I will be gracious in my victory."

"Ranma Saotome doesn't lose!" Ranma exclaimed, puffing up his chest. Three seconds later he deflated, looking at the blonde out of a corner of his eye. "He does, however, occasionally make strategic withdrawls..."

"Excellent," Melinda preened, reaching out and pulling a big-eyed pale green horror from his armload. "I accept your acknowledgment of defeat and will relieve you of this adorable stuffed Cthulhu plushie as my prize."

"I didn't lose..." Ranma muttered to himself, dropping a small stuffed octopus into the hands of a passing child.

"Yes you did," His companion retorted bemusedly, looking up with unrestrained joy at the large, brightly-lit ferris wheel in the distance. "Have you been on the ferris wheel yet?"

"Rogue an' Risty kept me busy winning 'em prizes," Ranma replied, shaking his head. "I ain't been on any rides yet, and ta be honest, the ferris wheel don't seem like that much fun."

"What?" Melinda exclaimed, spinning to face him. "How can you not enjoy the ferris wheel? It's so big and cool and you go so high up and can see for miles and miles!"

"Never been on one," Ranma shrugged, sticking his now-free hands in his pockets. Spotting a quarter half-buried in the dirt, the pigtailed boy bent to pick it; at the same time, a tiny globe of glowing energy flew through the space his head had been in, landing in a spinning cotton candy machine.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Melinda grabbed the still-leaning boy's collar and began dragging his protesting form - completely missing the small explosion, as well as the cotton candy that covered everything in a ten-foot radius.

* * *

"How are you missing him every single time?" Kurt asked, slapping a palm against his forehead in exasperation. "Mein gott, you have thrown at least fifteen booms at him and he has managed to dodge every last one!"

"I don't know!" Tabitha grumbled, leaning back again the support beam of the tent the pair had ducked into, having spotted Jean run by moments ago and not wanting to risk getting ratted out on. Ranma and his blonde friend had gotten on the ferris wheel moments before, and, at Kurt's insistence, this meant no more attempted boomings of the boy until they got off. "It's like he has some kind of insanely stupid radar or something!"

"I am thinking maybe ve should just give up," Kurt said, throwing his hands up in defeat. "I should have realized before ve started that something like this vould happen..."

"Bummer," the girl groaned, sliding to the ground. "And I was so looking forward to seeing Mr. Big Tough Instructor Man all charred up."

"There vill be other times," Kurt assured her. Grinning, he added, "At least ve got to see Blob and Toad covered in cotton candy."

"Not the same," Tabitha replied, returning the smile despite herself. Peeking her head out the canopy, she grinned widely upon seeing the coast was again clear. "Oh well, no sense moping. Let's go find something fun!"

"Are you sure ve have the time for that?" Kurt asked.

"Of course we do," Tabitha replied, grabbing him by the wrist before he could look at his watch. "C'mon, I bet we can get some good blackmail pics of your brother with that blonde girl!"

* * *

'He's hiding from me,' Jean thought to herself, clenching her fists so tightly she thought her fingernails might draw blood. 'I'm certain of it now, that little punk has been deliberately avoiding me all day...'

"Jean?"

She felt like tearing her hair out, grabbing it in large chunks and ripping without thought. Maybe it would relieve the pressure she felt in her head; her powers were working fine, but she could feel they were going to start acting up at any moment. Stuff would start flying around, minds would pour their contents into hers, and the pressure would get exponentially worse. She needed a null to keep it at bay, to keep it from happening.

"Jean?"

Damn him, didn't he realize how important this was? If her powers went out of control, they could be exposed or someone could even get hurt; giving her a null whenever she wanted one was necessary, no, _essential_ to the continued secrecy of the X-Men!

How could he not see this when it was so obvious?

"JEAN!"

"What, Duncan?!" Jean snapped, shooting a hard look up at her boyfriend. 'Be nice to him,' she chided herself. 'He doesn't know, and he honestly tries his best.'

"Uh... nevermind," The tall boy replied, shrinking back slightly. "Are you alright, Jean?"

"I'm fine," Jean sighed, giving Duncan a strained smile and placing a hand on his. Giving it an affectionate squeeze, she added, "I'm just a little edgy for some reason, sorry if I snapped at you."

"It's cool," Duncan replied, making a show of how he wasn't bothered in the least. "Didn't I warn you about taking all AP classes this semester?"

"Yes," She nodded, a little reluctantly. The pressure in her head suddenly increased, and Jean reflexively squeezed her eyes shut; she had to find Ranma, soon. "Hey, Duncan, I'll be right back, okay?"

"Yeah, no problem," Her boyfriend replied absently, having already gone back to joking around with his friends.

If he said anything else, Jean didn't hear it. Her eyes darted in every direction as she walked briskly through the crowd, trying to find her elusive housemate. She needed a null, and damn him to hell if he thought he could keep her from getting one.

Closing her eyes and leaning against a nerby wall, Jean reached out tentatively with her mind - it was a risk using her powers right now, but she had no other option. Ranma may be immune to telepathy, but his immunity could still be tracked, albeit with a degree of difficulty. She merely needed to find the mind she couldn't read...

* * *

Blinking, Ranma felt an odd feeling come over him - almost like someone poking him lightly in the back of the head with a sharpened twig. Glancing behind him, he confirmed there was nobody there - something that would be very difficult in the first place, due to his current position in a small car two hundred and a fifty feet off the ground.

"Well?"

"Huh?" Ranma said, twisting back around to face his friend. "Sorry, say that again?"

"Something the matter?" Melinda asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothin," Ranma replied, crossing his arms behind his head and leaning back in the car, taking in the starry night. "What was it ya asked me before?"

"I asked if you were enjoying the carnival," She repeated, shifting a few inches away from him, setting Plushiethulhu (as Melinda had named it) in between them and tilting her head back as well. "You do not seem to be having that much fun."

"I'm havin' a good enough time," Ranma told her, shrugging. "I only been to a coupla carnivals before, so I ain't got much to compare this one to. Pops said they were a distraction from the Art."

"Did your father let you do anything other than train?"

"Sometimes he'd let me play with local kids," Ranma said after a moment's thought. "And every year on my birthday he'd buy me a manga and let me stay up late to read it."

"And that is all?" Melinda asked, making a face up at the night sky. "How could you live like that? With a man like him? Did you not have any fun at all growing up?"

"I had plenty of fun," Ranma defended. "Pops made sure the trainin' was fun... mosta the time. It could get harsh, yeah, but it was usually in the form of some kinda game or somethin'."

"Still," Melinda said softly. "I would not like to have had a father like yours."

"He ain't all bad," Ranma threw in, surprised at the amount of defense he was giving his father. Their car was now at the bottom of the wheel, away from the sky, yet both continued looking straight up. "Not that I got much to compare the guy to."

"My dad was never like that," Melinda told him, glancing at the boy out of the corner of her eye. "He is away a lot, yeah, and could be rather strict, but whenever he was around he made as much time available for m-my brother, my little sister and me as he possibly could."

"Ya gotta brother?" Ranma had heard her talk about her little sister before, but she'd never mentioned a brother.

"Had," Melinda corrected, squeezing her eyes shut. "Had a brother. Archie... was killed, when I was younger. I would rather not talk about it."

"That sucks," Ranma replied, unable to come up with anything else to say - and have to literally bite his tongue to keep his foot from entering his mouth.

"Yeah," Melinda said softly. "I tell you about him later, if you like. I do not feel up for it tonight." She shot him a smile, adding, "Tonight is supposed to be about having fun, after all. We should talk about something else, then go grab a corn dog or something."

"Yeah," Ranma nodded, returning the smile. "So tell me about painting."

Melinda blinked. Twice. "Really?" She asked. Seeing him nod, a large grin blossomed on her face.

* * *

Focusing in on the target and the inconsequential blonde girl he was with, Sage found herself growing uncharacteristically angry; it had only been a week since she'd attacked him, and the traitor's spawn was recovering too quickly. This had not been anticipated quite as thoroughly as the other possibilities - higher odds had been given to his being distraught for far longer.

But he wasn't - he wasn't giving any visual cues as to being discombobulated in any way. Instead, the brat was riding the ferris wheel with a pretty blonde girl, talking about - of all things - art. She was doing most of the talking, admittedly, but Sage could tell he was paying attention.

Her injuries from that first fight were no excuse to have held back this past week. She should have attacked him. She should have struck multiple times a day, reinforcing her presence and her threats. Sage held no illusions that she would have beaten him, but she would have been able to gather more information about his abilities; the more techniques she saw him used, the more she would commit to memory and the better prepared she would be the next time around.

Of course, the boy was better than his father, and she had never been able to defeat Genma using that strategy. Assuming it would be any different with his son had been a mistake, Sage begrudgingly admitted to herself. So a different plan was required.

Focusing her glasses on his blonde companion, Sage scanned her memory for everything she knew about the Frost family while several strategies began forming simultaneously in her mind.

* * *

Trudging past the Mansion of Screams, Tabitha felt her face twist into a scowl upon seeing the face she was reluctantly looking for. "Okay dad," She said, spitting out the word, "Here I am, lets get this stupid thing over with already. What do I have to do?"

"This is gonna be a big score, princess," Mr. Smith said, scooping a handful of popcorn into his mouth. "Not like the stuff we used to do before."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Tabitha asked, cutting him off before he could begin. "It would be a lot safer and easier if I just drained some video games, pay phones, vending machines, that sort of thing, dontcha think?"

"Chump change," Mr. Smith snorted, leaning against a nearby booth. "I've got my sights set a bit higher." He smirked, and Tabitha followed his gaze towards carnival exit, where the principal's secretary was carrying a bulging brown courier bag. At her side was a tall uniformed escort, keeping one eye on everyone in the immediate vicinity and another on the bag. "Much higher... like tonight's proceeds."

"What?" Tabitha said after several seconds, staring with wide eyes. He'd never asked her to do anything like this before; stores were one thing, but this was a charity event! "You can't be serious!"

"The vault in the office," Her father said, ignoring he protest. "You're gonna blow it, and I'm gonna clean it out." He smirked. "Like I said, my sights are set much higher tonight."

"No no no!" Tabitha protested, backing away and shaking her head rapidly. "Bad plan! Very very bad plan! It's a charity, Dad, not a liquor store!"

"Tabby," Mr. Smith said, "Just this one time. We break in, I take the money, and I'm gone withing the hour and out of your life forever. Promise."

Frowning as she thought over his words, the girl finally sighed. "Fine," She muttered, crossing her arms. There would likely be repercussions if they were caught, likely very severe ones, but Tabitha couldn't find it within herself to care. If this got him out of her life, that was all that mattered. "Let's just get this over with then."

"That's my girl," The man said, crunching through another handful of popcorn; dropping the half-full bag to the ground, he stalked away, Tabitha reluctantly following alongside.

* * *

"Hey..." Todd said, turning to his much-larger friend. "That guy has a pretty good idea there, y'know?"

"He does?" Freddy asked, looking at the tall man Todd had gestured to. The blonde girl next to him looked a lot like Lance's description of the girl who had blown up the soda machines. "It sounded like they were talking about stealing from the school."

"Yeah," The shorter boy said, nodding. The two were hanging around beneath the school bleachers, having finally managed to clean the cotton candy off of themselves. Lance was hanging around with Kitty, and the two had no idea where Pietro or Nabiki were - then again, they didn't much care at the moment either. "He is. And he got a good plan."

"So?"

"So," Todd said, snagging a piece of popcorn off the ground with his tongue, "We need money, they're gonna go get money... we should snag it out from under them after they blow the vault, then let them take the rap. We could probably snag every season of CSI with the cash in that safe!"

"I dunno," Freddy said, scratching his head. "Nabiki probably ain't gonna think its such a good idea..."

"Which is why sweetums won't know until after it's done," Todd replied, hopping out onto the field. "And when it's done, yo, she'll be happy we took the initiative or whatever."

"She'll be happy with us?"

"She probably even give us a raise!"

"How do you know?" Freddy eyed the much smaller boy suspiciously. "Don't think she'll be that happy. Didn't she say-"

"She said to find some money my own way," Todd interrupted, quoting the conversation that morning. "This is just the thing she meant, I know it!"

"Okay," Freddy said, grinning and cracking his knuckles."So we doin' this?"

"Hell yeah," Todd shot back a yellow grin. "We are doin' this!"

* * *

"...and after all that, Uncle Winston still insisted on paying me for it," Melinda said, pride exuding from her words. "The picture is now hanging in his main New York City office."

"So ya have sold your work," Ranma summarized, although he didn't quite understand the significance of her Uncle hanging the painting in his office.

"Only to family and a few friends," The girl admitted, finishing off her corn dog and dropping the stick in a nearby garbage can. "Still, they did pay, and despite being related to them, most Frosts are notoriously hard to please, so I count each one as an honest victory."

"Any victory you earn is an honest one," Ranma said, half-distracted. As interesting as hearing Melinda talk about her work was, he still hadn't managed to get the information he'd been hoping to. From what he could tell, though, she herself was unaware of the actual energies her paintings held, so unless he was wrong, there was little she'd be able to tell him about how it was done. Still, it wouldn't hurt to know everything he could before he made his own attempt - using ki without knowing the details was a the first ingredient in a recipe of unpleasantness.

"Daddy says that too," Melinda commented, a small smile flashing across her lips.

"Heh," Ranma chuckled, checking the time on his watch - and belatedly activating the image inducer, having once again forgotten to turn the curse-detection feature on. "Hey, Mel, I think I'm gonna head back to the mansion, cool?"

"Yeah, s'cool," Melinda replied, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. "This place is getting kinda boring, and I think I saw Em heading out earlier with Summers. I have to get home and prepare to tease her unceasingly. Walk me to my car?"

"Sure," Ranma agreed. Sticking his hands in his pockets as they began walking, his mind again drifted away from what Melinda was saying and back to his earlier experience in the school gallery. Try as he might, he could not think of any way he could ask how she had done it without telling Melinda exactly what he had seen. And he really didn't want the hassle of explaining that...

No matter how much he thought about it, it did not make any sense to him. Everything he knew about ki control said that one could not wield it so finely without being completely aware of what they were doing. Small amounts of ki being manipulated like intricate lace was far more difficult a task than firing off a simple moderately-powered blast; a single mistake in the weaving could mean disaster.

He'd never even attempted such a thing. Hell, he didn't even know what he could do with such knowledge. Ranma only knew he had to find out.

"FUCK ME SIDEWAYS!"

The burst of profanity jerked Ranma out of his thoughts and into a ready stance. "What?" He asked, looking around for whatever had caused the outburst. "Something happenin'?"

"Some son of a bitch stole my car!" Melinda raged, staring at the empty space where her vehicle should have been, gripping her braid so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

"Ya sure?" Ranma asked, looking around the parking lot for the white Mini. "Maybe ya parked it some-"

"I parked it right here!" Melinda interrupted, her voice growing hysteric. "You saw me, I almost hit you! It was right. Fucking. HERE!"

Unable to come up with a counterargument to that, Ranma bent down to look over the area where the car had been. It took him less than a few seconds to realize he had no idea what he was looking for. Glancing back up at the girl, who was now pacing angrily and muttering a long stream of obscenities, Ranma returned to his feet.

"Hey, uh, Mel?"

"Motherfuckinggoddamsleazysheepraping-"

"Mel?"

"-shitstainedfuckwitsdeservetobecastratedwitharustybutterknife-"

"MEL!"

"-whorehoppingdogfuckingassholesdonotknowwhotheyaremessingwithsunovabitchwillruethefuckingdayafterDaddyslawyersaredonewith -WHAT?" Melinda's rant cut off when Ranma tapped her on the shoulder, having tried three times to verbally gain her attention.

"Uh..." Ranma gulped, unwilling to admit to himself that the intense, fiery anger in her eyes was actually making him uneasy. "Maybe you could, uh, call the cops instead of rantin' an' cursin'?"

"My phone was in the car..." The girl muttered, taking several deep breaths in an effort to calm herself down. "I gotta get home and call the police and my phone company, they could be running up the bill and then Momma is gonna kill me and..." Melinda trailed off, her eyes growing wide with fear.

"Mel-"

"What if they used the GPS to find out where I live?!" She suddenly blurted, racing towards the pigtailed boy and grabbing him by the arm. "They could be there, waiting for me, ready to kidnap me or break in or rape me and Donna is there all by herself and-"

"Mel!" Ranma said firmly, grabbing her by the wrist. Gently, he pulled her hand off of his arm. "Calm down," He told her, suprised that for the first time he could recall, HE was being the voice of reason. "I'm sure everythin' is fine. Wouldn't ya know by now if somethin' had happened?"

"But-"

"Wouldn't ya?"

"Yes," She admitted, sighing heavily. "I am sorry, I get freaked out when stuff like this happens. Would you mind walking me home?"

"Not really sure I should," Ranma said hesitantly, checking the time again. It wasn't late yet, but he'd wanted to get Danger Room session in before turning in for the night. That and if anyone found out he'd walked Melinda home, he'd never hear the end of it.

"Rogue will not mind," Melinda said, picking up Plushiethulhu and squeezing him tightly. "And I am not sure I feel safe walking home alone in the dark tonight... Please?"

"Alright," Ranma agreed finally; he didn't think anything was going to happen, but better safe than sorry, right?

* * *

"Hey Tabitha," Kurt said, porting into the secluded area behind the arcade, a disposable camera in his hand and a smile on his face. "I got the... pictures... Tabitha?"

The boy's enthused expression fell upon finding the girl not where he had left her. "Aw, man," He muttered, shoving the camera into his pocket. "Now she's gone and ran off vithout me..."

Stepping out from behind the large tent, the German mutant cast his eyes about, trying to find the wayward blonde. Spotting her distinctive harstyle walking towards the school, Kurt started after her, stopping after a few feet upon realizing she was walking with another familiar figure, albeit one he had only encountered earlier that very same day.

Following them from a safe distance until he reached the temporary fence that separated the school grounds from the carnival, Kurt watched as the pair walked towards the back entrance of the school.

"Hurensohn," He quietly cursed. Fearing the worst, Kurt raced back into the main fairgrounds to find anyone who could help.

* * *

The front doors had been easy - she hadn't even needed a bomb.

Despite less than a week of experience with the building, Tabitha already knew how to get around the school without being spotted by a single security camera. And aside from some quiet noises coming from the chemistry lab, the place was completely void of anyone - no witnesses.

Less than three seconds after inserting the small bomb into the keyhole, the double-doors that led to the main office burst open with a bright flash and a cloud of dark gray smoke. Stepping into the darkened room, Mr. Smith waved his flashlight throughout the room. Finding no one, he turned to his daughter and nodded.

"The alarm has probably been tripped by now," He said softly. "We gotta be quick."

"Ya think?" Tabitha muttered, rolling her eyes. If the alarm she'd set off picking the front doors hadn't done it, then the boom she'd just set off would have easily. They'd have cops on them within five minutes.

Following her father over to the painting behind the receptionist's desk, she watched as he pulled the painting back, revealing a large safe set into the wall behind it.

"C'mon," He urged her, waving an impatient hand towards the safe. "Make it a big one, fast!"

Shooting him a glare, Tabitha stepped forward as her father stepped back. Forming a glowing ball of energy between her hands, she deftly slid it into the handle and raced backwards.

_BOOM!_

The walls shook and the room became filled with black smoke, the door to the safe swinging open with an agonizing creak, revealing the brown courier bag Dorothy had been carrying earlier. Shining his flashlight over it, Mr. Smith's crooked grin spread over his face.

"Jackpot."

* * *

Grumbling to himself, Evan turned away from the skeeball booth, fifteen dollars poorer and with nothing to show for it.

"Giving up so soon, my boy?" The barker taunted.

"Nah, I'm just bored with you now," Evan shot back over his shoulder. Good god, the man was practically a stereotype; he even had a large handlebar mustache and a striped vest! "I got five bucks left, and it's coming nowhere near your booth."

Without another word, Evan left the man behind, ignoring the taunts and offers shouted after him. Looking at the five dollars in his hand, he shoved it back into his pocket; he could find something to do here without wasting the last of his cash.

"Evan!"

Looking up, he saw Kurt and shook his head. "Oh, hell, you-"

"Evan," Kurt repeated, "I need your help!"

"Dude, you need more help than I can give you," Evan replied. "Kurt, man, y-"

"Not that," Kurt interrupted. "It's Tabitha! I think she's in trouble! Who else is here?"

"Some of the others have left, I think," Evan said, trying to remember whom he had seen. "But I'm pretty sure Jean and Kitty are still hanging around."

"Ve have to find them," Kurt said, racing through the crowds; Evan followed alongside him, hoping for some kind of an explanation. "Ve don't have much time."

* * *

Bursting through a set of doors and into the main corridor, Tabitha and her father skidded to a halt when an ugly young man landed in front of them in a low crouch, dressed in a strange green and white outfit.

"Thanks for doin' the dirty work, pops," Toad laughed, grinning widely. "But I'm here to make a withdrawl!"

Leaping between them, Toad grabbed the bag and shot off down the hall, ricocheting off the wall and around the next hallway. Tabitha and her father raced after him, skidding around the corner full speed towards the ruined gymnasium.

Bursting through the singed doors, Toad made several leaps around the room, avoiding the piles of rubble and blackened wood before finally settling at the edge of the half-collapsed bleachers. Landing next to Blob, Toad spun around, facing his pursuers with another yellow-toothed smile.

"Funny," Tabitha muttered, staring at the two. "I expected to see Lance here..."

"I'd get lost if I were you," Blob threated, crushing a chunk of cement in his fist into a fine powder.

"What are you waiting for!" Her father yelled, pushing her towards them. "Get it back! Use your powers!"

"Yeah, just try it cutie-pie," Toad taunted. "The old man don't count for much, so it's two against one."

"And I don't think ya got what it takes," Blob taunted, pushing himself off the bleachers and taking several slow, thundering steps forward, crushing the seats below his feet like glass.

"Not impressed," Tabitha snorted, dismissing their threats with a wave of her hand. "I don't know why I'm even bothering with thi-

_ssshkBOOOOM!_

All eyes present whipped around as the far wall suddenly blew apart, sending a choking cloud of dust and debris throughout the ruined gymnasium. Three silhouettes appeared in the cloud, soon resolving into Jean, Shadowcat and Spyke; a soft _bamf_ signaled the arrival of Nightcrawler, crouching on a large chunk of rubble.

"I think you have something that doesn't belong to you," Jean said firmly, directing a hard gaze to all four of the would-be thieves; the redhead was already pissed off that Ranma had vanished, leaving her frustrated and null-less. With the mood she was in, these fools would not be getting off easy.

"We suggest you return it," Spyke added, clenching his fist and sprouting a half-dozen razor-sharp blades from his forearm.

"What are you guys doing here?" Tabitha demanded, shooting Nightcrawler an apologetic look; his eyes briefly met hers before shifting back to Toad and the stolen money.

"Looks like they want to join the fun," Freddy said, eager as ever to attempt a beat-down on the opposition.

"Five against two," Toad whined as he took a hop backwards, clutching the bag desperately, his confidence quickly evaporating. "Them odds don't favour us, man! The Toad is outta here, yo!"

Shooting upwards towards a broken window, Toad let out a yelp as his ascent immediately halted.

"I wouldn't be to confident of that if I were you," Jean said, one hand raised as she held the boy in mid-air; a small bead of sweat trickled down her brow. Keeping her powers from going haywire while using them was an experience she was not enjoying.

"Hey, let go!" Toad flailed his legs helplessly in mid air, the bag held tightly against his chest in a death-grip. "We stole it fair and square, yo!"

Jean merely stood there, all of her focus on keeping her powers from flinging the captive boy into the nearest wall as she slowly lowered him to the ground. Her teammates stood ready at her side keeping an eye out for any move from the others.

Pulling her arm back, Jean brought Toad down to the floor harder than she intended, sending the bag flying in the air and the boy's legs through the remains of the wooden floor.

Jean discretely took a step backwards, wincing at the sight. Too much power...

"I've got it!" Nightcrawler shouted, appearing in the bag's trajectory and grabbing it out of the air.

"Not for long!" Blob bellowed. Nightcrawler spun around just in time to avoid being blindsided by the massive mutant, rolling with the punch and reducing the impact. Staggering to his feet again, he cried out in pain as a silver blur struck him in the face, the bag disappearing from his hands.

"Quicksilver!" Spyke growled, firing off dozens of spikes at the nigh-invisible blur.

"Still too slow, Daniels!" The speed demon taunted, dodging each of the projectiles with overembellished ease.

"Pietro?" Toad shouted, "Yo, man, what the hell you doin' here?"

"Got bored," He shot back with a crooked grin. "Thought I'd join in the fun. What's in the bag?"

"None of your business!" Tabitha growled, throwing a cluster of glowing bombs directly into the speed demon's path, triggering their explosion before he had time to react.

Sent airborne by the blasts, Quicksilver reacted quickly and threw the bag in Blob's direction. "Don't lose it," He shouted, adding as an afterthought, "Whatever it is."

Struggling to keep her head amidst the throbbing and the chaos, Jean found her focus locking on the bag; that was what this was all about, what everyone was after. Remove it and everything would go back to normal; remove it, and she could get away from this and get what she wanted.

Blob nearly hand his meaty hands on the bag when a long, thin spike sailed through the air, snagging the bag straight though the handle. "Yo, Nightcrawler," Spyke shouted as the spike pierced through the backboard of the one remaining basketball hoop. "Here's the lay-up!"

Porting in before the spike had even finished quivering, Nightcrawler snatched the bag away. "And he scores!" Kurt declared, dropping gracefully back to the floor. "Nice shooting, Ev-AHH!"

Toad's tongue whipped back, pulling the blue-furred mutant off his feet. Crossing the distance between them with a powerful leap, Toad landed on his opponent and spat a large wad of yellow-green mucus into his face.

Tabitha groaned in frustration as she saw Toad resume control of the bag; in her peripheral vision, she could see her father's hard, determined eyes following it's every move. Snorting in disgust, she regardless turned her own gaze back to the object of desire, waiting for an opportune moment.

Springing into the air, Toad made a beeline for the nearest exit. Dodging his way through a barrage of spikes - more through luck than any actual skill - Toad managed to land a savage two-legged blow to Spyke's stomach.

Grunting in pain, the bleach-blonde boy nevertheless held his ground, grabbing Toad's ankles and hammer throwing him into a nearby wall. Less than a second before he hit, Shadowcat popped through the wall and phased through Toad, removing the bag from his grasp.

Hearing a deep-throated bellow, Shadowcat looked up and managed to sink into the floor just in time to avoid the full force of Blob's body slam.

Rising back to the surface a few feet away, Shadowcat briefly shuddered. "Like, why does he always have to throw his weight around like that?"

Jean stood against the wall, apart from the action in the rest of the room, trying to suppress the throbbing in her skull through sheer will power. The bag changed hands from Shadowcat to Quicksilver, and Jean had to force herself to hold back; she could stop him easily, holding him in place with her mind, but wasn't sure she could trust her powers to stop at that. She had to regain control before she could act; if she could establish control, then Ranma would know that she was handling things fine, and would stop avoiding her requests for nulls.

The redhead smiled at the thought, unable to repress a small shiver of anticipation. Ranma wasn't here, but someone would be sure to tell him. She didn't need anyone's help, she was doing fine on her own - all she needed was more practice. And more nulls. Nulls whenever she needed them...

Seeing Pietro toss the bag to Blob to avoid Evan, Jean seized on the opportunity and jerked the bag out of its trajectory. Pulling it towards her, she spread her powers further to freeze the Brotherhood in place. All action ceased as the bag slowly floated along towards her; the pounding in Jean's head was getting louder, and a silent scream escaped her lips as her powers suddenly flared dramatically. The walls creaked as the Brotherhood were hurled full-speed into them, the entire room shaking violently from the force.

Out of her control, the bag slammed hard into the ground directly in front of Mr. Smith. The man wasted no time, grabbing the bag and charging for the nearest exit.

"I'll get him!" Spyke said, stopping as Tabitha placed a hand against his chest.

"No," She said firmly, racing out the door after the man. "I will."

Trailing her father's footsteps up the stairs and to the roof of the gymnasium, Tabitha contemplated chaging her last name to avoid being connected to this idiot; 'Tabitha Moonbeam' had a nice ring to it. Seriously, who ran to a rooftop to escape?

Hearing an annoyed cry, she ran faster, coming to the doorway and seeing her father stuck in the floor, the bag of stolen cash just out of his reach. The wood was weakened from the fire, and her father was no small man, so the girl didn't need long to figure out what had happened, nor what was going to happen.

"Dad!" Tabitha called out, grabbing hold of the doorframe and leaning in, her other hand extended towards the man. "Hold on! Give me your hand!"

"You just keep those others away!" Mr. Smith snarled, struggling to grab the bag; around him the floor began cracking and splintering around him.

"Dad!" Tabitha cried out, stumbling as the entire building began shaking; what the hell was Jean doing down there? Crawling closer to her father, she felt herself begin to panic slightly; he was a horrible father, and she wanted the man out of her life, but she didn't want him to get himself killed over this! "Dad, please! Grab my hand, forget about the money! Daddy!"

She was surprised by the amount of concern in her voice, and even more suprised by the soft look her father shot back at her. His hand jerked away from the money, and she could see the decision warring in his eyes. Her heart broke when his gaze hardened again, and he lunged for the bag without a second thought.

The weakened rooftop shattered violently in a storm of dust and splinters under their combined weight, and the young mutant let out a shriek. Squeezing her eyes shut, Tabitha suddenly heard a 'bamf' and felt a strong arm grab her arround the waist followed by a now-familiar feeling of displacement.

Opening her eyes less than a second later, she and her father were on the ground, Nightcrawler crouched between them. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Shadowcat crouched next to Jean, the latter clutching her head in pain.

"Huh?" Her father grunted, looking around in confusion. Seeing the blue-furred face, he snarled and slammed the bag into it, knocking Kurt to the ground. Not wasting a moment, he ran through the ruined building and out the main entrance.

"Daddy, no!" Tabitha cried out, sparing Kurt a concerned glance before chasing after her father, the entire time cursing herself for letting her hatred of the man slip.

Catching up with the man outside, Tabitha and her father were stopped dead in their tracks by a flood of white light and sirens.

"Alright, don't move!" A hard voice boomed through the air; squinting, Tabitha could see a half dozen squad cars and twice as many uniformed officers. "Hands in the air, now!"

Darting her eyes about for an escape route, the girl sighed upon seeing none. The bag hit the ground with a hard thud, and Tabitha could see her father had reached the same conclusion. Lowering her eyes, she did as ordered and slowly raised her hands above her head.

* * *

Soundlessly, Sage trailed the target and his companion as they walked through the dark streets. The theft of the Frost girl's car was unexpected, and required a few alterations to her plans, but it mattered little. She had over a dozen easily executable options factoring in every possible contingency. Their current lack of cover could work to her advantage as well as to his, but would be negligible if-

_BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!_

The annoying buzzing that filled her ears pushed the planning to another section of her mind. Tapping the corner of the glasses, she considered ignoring the call, but decided against it; anyone who came on to this channel was to be given priority, no exceptions.

"Kocho," she greeted quietly, her eyes remaining on her target. "Why are you bothering me?"

"You are to come to Nerima," The man's voice crackled over the com-link, "A shapeshifter has been sighted. We believe it to be Mystique."

"There are a lot of shapechangers in Nerima," Sage replied, leaping the gap between rooftops with effortless grace.

"This one changed without water." Kocho replied; in her mind she could easily see him, leaning back in a plush red leather office chair with his feet on his desk. "Into a very strange creature."

"There are many strange creatures at Jusenkyo," she told him, sorting through her mental databanks of the cursed springs. "And plenty of ways to change without water."

"The suspect turned into a strange winged minotaur with an electric eel for a tail. Now, we have taken samples from every sp-"

"Pantyhose Taro," She interrupted, growing increasingly irritated. "Baptised as a newborn in the Spring of Drowned Yeti-Riding-Bull-While-Carrying-Crane-And-Eel. Kocho, you know this already."

"That's the problem," Kocho replied; in her mind she could see the smug grin come over his face. "We have taken samples from each and every one of the pools of sorrow. There IS NO Spring of Drowned Yeti-Riding-Bull-While-Carrying-Crane-And-Eel."

Sage paused. "You are certain of this?"

"Dead certain," The other end crackled. "What's more, like Mystique, the subject does not show up on my scans. Either it is Darkholme, or someone with similar powers and some way of blocking me. In any regard, such a subject needs to be investigated, and you are the only one capable."

"And if it is not Darkholme?" The ebony-tressed woman asked, landing on the top of a street lamp. "Saotome will be left alone, and someone needs to keep the pressure on him."

"Gambit will remain in the area," Kocho told her. "He has orders to do nothing but observe; this mission remains your own, as you requested. Transportation is waiting for you, coordinates have already been uploaded. We expect to see you tomorrow."

The line went dead, and Sage switched the link off. Without a second glance at her quarry she opened the newly arrived file and committed the information to memory. Silently, Sage dropped flew across the rooftops in the opposite direction, soon vanishing into the cloak of night.

* * *

Wrapping her arms tightly around Plushiethulhu, Melinda shivered despite the warm night. The theft of her car, a present from her parents when she turned sixteen, had severely rattled her, especially since it could be easily traced to her family. A criminal with high ambitions could use the information in the GPS for any number of nefarious purposes - including kidnapping for ransom, which was something Melinda hoped desperately to avoid.

Glancing to the side, she saw Ranma, walking a few feet away with his hands in his pockets, seemingly unconcerned with any potential danger a dark night could bring.; smiling, she turned her gaze to the road ahead. She felt safer with him walking her home, although she knew there wouldn't be much he could do if the criminals were at her house and if they had guns.

Looking over at him again, she managed to catch his eye. "So," She said with a soft smile. "Any more questions about art?"

"I got a few," Ranma answered after a few moments. "Y'know that paintin' ya had in the gallery?"

Melinda nodded, thinking for a moment; she had more than a few pieces in the gallery. "The one with the horse?"

"Yeah," The pigtailed boy paused. "Howdja come up with that? Does it mean anythin'?"

"Does it mean anything?" She repeated with a giggle. "Nah, not really. I just wanted to paint it. If you wanted to, I guess you could find meaning, but anything you find was not put there by me."

"Huh," Ranma glanced over at her, his eyes making her heart flutter as if it were the very first time. "I thought art was s'posed to have a meanin'."

The blonde shook her head, one hand reaching up to softly stroke her braid. "It does not have to," She replied, shifting Plushiethulhu under one arm. "A lot of artists will insist otherwise, but it is not required as far as this artist concerned. I am actually more interested in hearing what people think I meant, to be honest, than actually trying to convey a specific message."

Ranma nodded, and Melinda could see a ghost of a frown pass over his face; apparently that wasn't the kind of answer he had been hoping for. What information, then, was he fishing after?

"That is not to say I never put anything into my work," She said, her mind racing for a coherent explanation. "I mean... well, did Dante talk to you about passion?"

"Yeah, he did." Ranma asnwered, kicking an aluminum can into the gutter as they turned a corner. "I understood what he meant, but I ain't sure I know how ta do it."

"That is what I put in," She said, smiling brightly at him; inwardly she had to force herself not to tell him how much she could teach him about passion. "My emotions are what I try to convey through the medium. I want anyone looking at one of my pieces to feel what I felt when I was making it, to stir up those same emotions inside them. I want them to feel my anger, my joy, my fear, my everything.

"That," She continued, closing her eyes and letting the feeling she was having trouble describing well up within her. "Is what I put into my work. And the more I put into it, the better it tends to turn out - the reasoning behind which I have spent my life figuring out. I think I almost got it," She shot him a wink.

"So..." Ranma said, rubbing his chin. "You're explanation is that ya don't know how to explain it, ya just do it?"

"Yep."

"That helps a lot, Mel."

"Does it not?" Melinda stuck her tongue out at him, the small stud glittering in the streetlights.

Ranma blinked. "When didja get that done?"

"Last week," She replied, wiggling her tongue playfully; it was healing very well, much faster than Emma had said it would. "You like it?"

"It's nice, I s'pose," Ranma said, shrugging. "As nice as a piece of metal shoved through yer tongue can be..."

"Bah," Melinda turned her nose up in mock-disgust. "You know nothing about cool."

"Do to!" Ranma said defensively.

"Please," She shook her head, having great fun at the boy's expense; he just looked so cute while on the defensive. "Those clothes? Those shoes? That hair? They just scream 'out of touch'."

"My hair is perfect," Ranma frowned.

"Okay, yeah, I will give you the hair," Melinda admitted with a nod. "You pull it off very well. Braids rocks." She gave her own a small tug for emphasis. "But you therefore admit the clothes and shoes are crap."

"Hey-"

"Unless you're planning to go the whole Bruce Lee route," She said, giving him another look-over. "With the chinese clothes and the slippers. In which case, you pull it off very well. I highly doubt you will bring about a resurgence of the style, however."

"Bruce Lee ain't got nothin' to do with it," Ranma shot back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Besides, I got other clothes, and ya seen me in 'em."

"Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"You realize I am just giving you cheek, right?"

"...uh... yeah, of course I do!"

Melinda giggled; he was so cute.

"So how much further 'til we get to your house?" Ranma asked, plainly making an attempt to change the subject.

"Just another block," She replied, stifling another round of giggles. "Barely that even."

"So anyway, about that painting," Ranma crossed his arms behind his head, looking away into the night. "When didja paint that one?"

"Hmmm," Melinda pursed her lips, trying to recall when exactly she had done it. "Last year, obviously... I think it was a few days after I met you. I finished it about two weeks before the end of the year."

"It's damn good," The pigtailed boy complimented her. Melinda felt her cheeks flush a faint pink, and she turned her head to hide her embarrassment as they turned onto the path that led to the front door.

"Thanks," She said softly. "I worked very hard on it, and it actually means a lot to me that you like it." She blinked suddenly upon hearing a very faint click. "Oh, I just remembered!" She said, spinning around to face him. "The sprinklers are about to come on, so you... might get... wet..."

Melinda's jaw hit the pavement as she watched, almost in slow motion, the lean, well-muscled man's body shift and change.

Plushiethulhu fell to the ground, unnoticed.

* * *

Cracking the door open, Tabitha sighed upon seeing Professor Xavier and Kurt at the bottom of the stairs. Taking a deep breath and steeling herself, she stepped out of the Bayville Police Precinct Station and down the stairs, her feet feeling heavy against the concrete.

Xavier met her with a cool gaze, Kurt with an apologetic - and, to her eyes, slightly disappointed - one. Resisting the urge to flinch back, she instead met them head on.

"So," Tabitha said finally, sticking her hands in her pockets; it was a natural motion, and if it made her look more vulnerable, well, that was merely coincidence. "What's gonna happen to my father?"

"Well," The professor replied, steepling his hands. "They are arresting him. In addition to the charges of coercing you, he has dozens of outstanding warrants."

"Right," Tabitha sighed again, dropping her head and starting off down the street. "I'm just gonna stop by the mansion and pick up my stuff, and I'll be on my way."

"Tabitha," Kurt said, stopping her. "You don't have to leave the Institute!"

"Yes I do," She insisted, turning back towards them. "It's... it's just not a good fit. Not right now, anyway." Turning her back on them again, she continued on her way.

"You know where we are if you need us," She heard Xavier add; Tabitha didn't acknowledge his words. She appreciated the offer, but was pretty certain she wouldn't be coming back.

Turning the corner, she smiled upon seeing Kurt bamf in to existence in front of her. "Don't say it," She said, holding a finger to his lips. "You're a good friend, Kurt, and I had a lot of fun tonight before - well, you know."

"Yeah," The boy replied with a faint blush.

Tabitha lifted his chin up gently and leaned in, her lips pressing briefly against his. "It would have been a lot of fun, Blue," She said, pulling away and walking past him. "But we both know it would have never worked out, y'know? Just too different."

Glancing over her shoulder one last time, Tabitha smiled upon seeing him frozen in position; it would not have worked out at all, but it sure would have been fun.

* * *

Bag slung over her shoulder, Tabitha passed through the gates of the Xavier Institute, likely for the last time; she had no doubt her security clearance would be revoked soon. It was momentarily depressing to find that everything she owned could be fit so easily into a single backpack, but the feeling passed swiftly; in truth, she found the knowledge rather liberating. She was a free spirit, after all, capable of leaving whenever the whim took her. The things she carried now were only the necessities - anything else could be easily replaced.

Friends, on the other hand, could not. Tabitha would miss Amara especially, despite having known the girl only for the brief month or so they had been roommates, and Kurt of course. But then again, it wasn't as if she would be leaving Bayville. Just because she was out of that stuffy old mansion didn't mean she couldn't hang out with both of them at school - when Amara finally started school, that is.

Tabitha smiled, taking a random corner; the more she thought about it, the more realized she wasn't really 'losing' anything at all.

Her father didn't count, of course. That jackass could stay lost for all she cared, especially after what he'd pulled tonight.

Being without residence did present some problems, however. Despite her newfound freedom, Tabitha had no intentions of giving up school; doing so would make her too much like her father, who somehow took it as a measure of pride that he didn't have his diploma. Not to mention all the cuties she'd be giving up at Bayville High - the boy's track team was especially yummy.

With no money, however, the options she had open to her were rather slim. And as free as she was, she wasn't about to even consider bedding down in the wide open world. With her considerable hotness, she'd be too great a temptation for the unsavoury types who prowled the night.

'Lucky for me,' She thought to herself, smiling mischieviously, 'An opportunity was offered earlier today...'

Her course decided, Tabitha made an abrupt turn and hopped the low wall surrounding the park at the city's center. Technically it was closed at this late hour, but what did curfews really matter? It was well-lit and a much faster route, so it only made sense to take the advantage it offered. Besides, the cops never busted anyone here this late.

She would miss the training sessions with Ranma and the others a little bit, though. Tabitha didn't necessarily enjoy waking up before the sun and being forced to exercise and train without a break, but after tonight she couldn't deny that it was having a noticeable effect. Beginning a similar regimen by herself was out of the question, of course, but that didn't mean she couldn't start taking proper lessons - when she wanted, of course.

"Although," She muttered to herself, "Not likely gonna find a teacher near as cute as the last one." Rahne may have had an unspoken claim, but that had never stopped her from admiring him to her heart's content.

Tabitha was suddenly startled out of her thoughts by a strange noise. Stopping, she listened intently, identifying it as a soft 'bwee'; tracking it to a nearby fountain, light sounds of splashing joined the odd cry. Next to the fountain she could see a large travelling backpack with a strange red umbrella leaning against it.

"Snazzy," Tabitha grinned, making a beeline to the abandoned items. "Free stuff."

Ignoring the splashing and bweeing now in favour of her newfound prizes, Tabitha grabbed a random zipper and pulled - only to find the pocket not opening. Grunting, she pulled harder, but the simple mechanism refused to operate. Cursing, the currently-homeless girl frowned and tried the others, only to receive similar results; the zippers refused to budge, and even the top flap didn't yield, no matter how much force she put into it. "Fine!" She growled, punching the bag, "Ow - Be that way!"

Cradling her hand - that stupid bag felt like it was made out of iron! - Tabitha finally glanced towards the source of the noises that had originally attracted her attention. Gasping, her eyes grew wide at what she saw.

Splashing about in the otherwise still water, was a small black piglet. Around it's neck was a yellow bandanna with black spots.

The poor creature was making a vain attempt to pull itself out of the water, it's tiny hooves scraping against the stone side of the fountain. Next to it, floating in the water, was a yellow shirt, a pair of black pants, and a pair of white boxers dotted with pictures of Hello Kitty.

"Oh, wow!" Tabitha squealed, her eyes sparkling. "A little black piglet! I love these!"

Scooping the little animal out of the water, the excited girl held it up to her face, rubbing her nose against it's snout and cooing. The piglet made no move to escape, simply staring back into Tabitha's bright blue eyes with a wide, innocent gaze, bweeing pitifully.

"You are just too cute," She told it, giving it's nose a small kiss. Giggling as it lowered it's head as if embarrassed, she rubbed it between the ears. "Did your owner ditch you here with the rest of his stuff?" She glanced at the clothes and made a face. "I bet he did, the little perv, running around naked right now." She gave it another peck on the nose. "Well you don't need him anymore!"

Tabitha cuddled the pig to her chest, not noticing as it's eyes grew huge, nor the small trickle of blood that ran from it's nostrils. "We don't need anyone, do we, little guy?" She continued, forgetting about the bag and continuing her way through the park. "We're both free spirits, I can sense it! Subject to no one's will but our own! We don't need anyone for anything!"

She passed through an opening in the wall and gave it an affectionate nuzzle, the park now behind them. "Isn't that right?"

The pig bwee'd.

Walking several blocks in silence, Tabitha began to wonder if she was going in the right direction. She smiled and banished the thoughts a few seconds later as she and her new companion found themselves in front of a large house; in the yard was a well-crafted wooden sign, naming the residence 'The Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House'.

"But," She said softly, a grin breaking over her face as they started down the walkway. "Just 'cause we don't NEED anyone doesn't mean we can't take advantage of the kindness of strangers..."

* * *

"Alright," Nabiki said, crossing her arms and giving the three subordinates before her an icy glare. "Now that you've told me your side of the story, as well as the idiotic reason for WHY you tried to steal the money, I find myself left with only one course of action."

Turning, the brown-haired cyberpath began pacing forth and back in front of the three boys. "Obviously, I can't turn you in," She continued, "That would be counter-productive and draw unwanted attention. That, and despite all logic, I like you guys, so I'm a little torn on what to actually do."

"Maybe you could let us off with a warnin', sweetums?" Todd asked, grinning hopefully.

"Not a chance," Nabiki replied. "Let me break for a moment, Todd, to try and explain to you why YOUR motivations were particularly stupid."

"Okay..." Todd groaned, flinching back from her chilly look.

"What are my powers?"

"Uh," the yellow -toothed boy thought for a moment. "You can read minds and do stuff with computers, right?"

"Close enough," Nabiki muttered. "The point is, if you had asked nicely, and paid a small fee, I could have EASILY downloaded CSI for you. Understand?"

"Yes'm..."

"Good," Nabiki shot him a second glare, then resumed. "The three of you will do all the chores around here for the next week, as well as be taking a fifty percent cut in your shares for the next two. I believe that sounds fair, don't you?" She smiled sweetly and sent a burst of pain through the mental links; all three flinched in pain, then nodded vigourously.

"Good." She finished, adding, "And remember; WE. DON'T. STEAL."

"We don't steal..." All three muttered, getting up off the floor and moving to the couch - Todd claiming the bean bag chair, as usual. Rolling her eyes as the CSI: Branson theme music started up, Nabiki placed a foot on the bottom stair.

A soft rapping at the door halted her ascension; giving Lance a look, the boy got up and answered the late night visitor.

"Hey," Tabitha greeted cheerfully, leaning against the doorframe. Nabiki rose an eyebrow at the sight of the familiar black piglet in her arms, but said nothing.

"Man, I'm dyin' of thirst," The new arrival said, stepping inside and grabbing the bottle of water out of Lance's hand. Walking past him, she gulped down several mouthfuls and waved an errant greeting to the other boys, managing to tear their gazes away from the TV screen.

Reaching the stairs, she tossed the empty bottle over her shoulder. "Hey, me and the little guy need a place to crash," Tabitha cheerfully explained, eliciting another raised eyebrow from Nabiki. The piglet took one look at her, bwee'd and tried to burrow deeper into Tabitha's arms.

"And I care because...?"

"Because I could turn in your roommates for attempted robbery," Tabitha replied happily. "But I'd prefer not to."

"You," Nabiki said slowly, giving the girl a blank look, "Are attempting to blackmail... me?"

"Oh crap," Pietro whispered to Lance, "This will not end well."

"I don't like the term 'blackmail'," Tabitha answered, shaking her head. "Think of it as a trade; your friends don't get busted, and my friend and I get a place to sleep."

"Or," Nabiki said, tapping a finger against her lips, "I could turn you down, then go to the school and explain how you blew up the soda machine."

"You have no proof of that."

"Or I could go to the boy's swim team, and explain that you were the one who stole all the clothes out of their lockerroom," Nabiki continued, firing a smirk at the other girl's surprised look. "And the cheerleading squad would be thrilled to know who dipped all the pom-poms in oatmeal. Or perhaps Principal Kelly himself would like to be informed as to who it was exactly that's been blowing up lockers. I'm sure the evidence in your locker would be proof enough. And there's so much more evidence in there of other minor misdeeds, evidence I'm sure many people would be interested in."

"How-"

"Never attempt to blackmail a telepath, Ms. Smith," Nabiki interrupted, turning around and heading up the stairs. "But I'll be nice and let you stay. The only requirements are you pay for what you destroy and you help with the household finances."

"And how do I do that?" Tabitha asked, following her up. The piglet let out a tired bwee.

"You'll find out in the morning," Nabiki said, slamming her door in the girl's face. "Find yourself an empty room, we have plenty."

Plopping down in front of her computer, Nabiki ignored the girl's questions from the other side of the door and began transferring the files she had downloaded over the course of the day. There were several orders she would like to have filled by Monday, which meant the weekend would be spent burning a lot of DVD's.

Well, other people would be burning them; Nabiki had shopping to do.

_ka-BOOM!_

Frowning, Nabiki opened the door and stepped out into the hall; the locked door barring access to Mystique's room had been blown off. The boys had raced up the stairs and were now crowded outside in the hall.

"Hmm," She heard Tabitha say from the inside. "Not bad. I guess it'll do."

"You're gonna be paying for that," Nabiki threw out, leaning against the wall and calculating the cost of replacing the door and fixing the surrounding walls - deducting it from the girl's share, of course.

"Whatever," Tabitha dropped her bag and waved off the threat. Grabbing the open door, she shot a glare of her own at the boys. "Well... stay out of my room!"

The boys jumped as the door slammed shut, enticing a bark of laughter from Nabiki. "I kinda like her," She commented, heading back to her own room. "Pity what Mystique'll do to her when she get's back."

* * *

"H-h-h,"Melinda's vocal cords seemed incapable of producing a single coherent sound. Shutting her mouth with an audible click, the blonde shook her head rapidly. "Ranma," she said softly, her voice cracking halfway through the name. "W-w-what the hell just h-happened? H-how?"

"I," Ranma swallowed, her eyes darting around to ensure no one else had seen the transformation - or possibly to find an escape route, she wasn't completely sure. "I can explain, really!"

"I sincerely hope you can," Melinda said, her calm tone contrasting greatly with the disbelief - accompanied by trace amounts of fear and hysteria- in her expression. Her hands were yanking on her braid so hard her knuckles were turning white. "There has to be s-some kind of logical explanation, and I damn well hope that you have it! Because if neither of u-us know what h-happened, then one of us is g-g-going to strangle the other! How much do you want to bet which one of us is GOING TO BE D-DOING WHICH?"

"You seem to be taking this rather well."

"R-Ranma, I am about thirty-seven s-s-seconds from a complete and total breakdown," Melinda snapped, her left eye twitching. "W-which will likely involve lots of screaming and running, unless you tell me why you have suddenly become a short redhead with bigger tits than me! Now!"

"Right," Ranma chuckled nervously; why hadn't she fled? Why the hell hadn't she just bolted the moment the water hit her? At least the image inducer was on this time - this would be awkward enough without having to explain why she was blue as well as female. "You... you know..."

"Ranma!" Melinda snapped. "Th-th-thirteen seconds!"

"Y'know the long martial arts training trip my pop took me on?" The words came out in a rush. "We went ta a lotta places, all over the world, and a lotta weird trainin' grounds. The last one we went ta was in China, in the Bayankala mountains. It was this misty little valley with a buncha springs with tons of bamboo poles stickin' outta 'em. The idea of the trainin' ground was ta fight on those poles and not fall in any of the springs.

"Pops always wanted ta go there," She continued, trying to remember the guide's explanation as best she could. "Over one hundred springs, each with it's own tragic story." She took a deep breath, lowering her eyes a fraction. "Each with it's own tragic curse. Jusenkyo, the very aptly-named Pools of Sorrow."

Melinda blinked, something about the name tickling her memory; pushing it away, she focused on the explanation, hanging on the other girl's every word.

"Pop's ignored the guide's warnin's," Ranma continued, her face growing dark at the memory of her old man's stupidity. "We jumped up onta the poles and started sparrin'. I knocked pop into one of the springs, and a coupla seconds later a huge panda wearing his gi burst out of it. It caught me by surprise and knocked me into another spring.

"When I came out," She continued, looking up again. "I looked like this... cold water triggers the curse, hot water changes me back ta normal."

"So..." Melinda summarized, taking a deep breath; the story had given her enough time to restore most of her calm - although her braid was still held tightly in both hands - and now she was staring with fascination. All traces of fear were gone, although a small amount of hysteria and suspicion remained. "You are a man, right?"

"Hell yeah I'm a guy!" Ranma exclaimed reflexively. "The body is justa curse."

"This..." Melinda breathed, hands now stroking slowly along her braid. "I will not lie, this is some really heavy shit, Ranma. A magical curse?"

"Ya seem ta be takin' it better than most," Ranma commented, nervously scratching at the base of her pigtail.

"Believe me, this is shock," The blonde replied, tugging at her braid and giggling slightly as she spoke. "I would be calling bullshit on the whole story if I had not seen you actually change shape before my eyes. I mean, seriously, it sounds like one of the bedtime stories Momma and Daddy used to scare me with when I was a kid. 'Eat your vegetables or the burning bird-man will turn you into a gerbil with his magic water'." She shuddered at the memory. "I hate gerbils."

"Mel-"

"Quiet, I'm rambling," Melinda interrupted. "You know I do this when I'm nervous, and it's either this, fainting, or running around and screaming. I'd rather avoid the other two options, wouldn't you?" She clenched her eyes shut and gave her hair another yank. Snapping them open again, she regarded Ranma with a guarded look. "So... is this change complete? You got all the parts in the right pla- yeah, of course you do, I don't see any bulges down there. How long have you had this 'curse'?"

"'bout a year and a half now," Ranma answered, becoming increasingly agitated; she was expecting Melinda to call her a pervert any second now, declaring her a freak and shunning her. It was going to happen, and the waiting was making the inevitable so much worse.

"So you've had it for a while then," Melinda commented. "You're probably quite used to the body by now... Does it effect your mind? I mean, do you start liking boys and shopping for dresses and watching chick flicks and stuff?"

"No way," Ranma shuddered at the thought. "My mind remains completely male!"

"That's a plus then," Melinda muttered. Her eyes suddenly snapped wide open. "Oh my god! Do you menstruate?"

Ranma flushed a deep red; most people didn't ask this many questions, and none had ever actually asked that one. "Yeah," She mumbled, almost too low to hear. "The cycle keeps goin' even when I;m a guy, but durin' that time of the month I try to stay a guy as much as I can..."

"Amazing," the blonde breathed, "A man who knows firsthand what women go through..."

Turning her gaze away, Melinda took another deep breath; out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ranma fidgeting slightly. Belatedly she realized the redhead was just as scared and nervous as she herself was, albeit for a very different reason. It didn't take much thought to realize why.

"You do not need to worry," Melinda said softly, not turning to look at the other girl. "I will not tell anyone about your curse if you do not want me to. Not even Emma." A smile crossed her face as she heard Ranma expel an audible sigh of relief.

"Thanks Mel," Ranma said gratefully. "Ya got no idea how-"

"I thought you were perfect," Melinda suddenly said, surprising even herself; her voice cracked as the words tumbled from her lips. "I really did, from the very first moment I saw you... y-y-you looked so cute s-standing there in the hall, staring in bewilderment at your class schedule." Her head tilted downward, blonde bangs casting shadows over her face. "I have been walking on air every day since that I ma-managed to work up the nerve to t-t-talk to you.

"And it is not just your perfect body," Melinda continued. "Lean and muscled in all the right places. And not your gorgeous gray-blue eyes, or your wo-wonderful smile, or even that delicious rock-hard ass."

Ranma flushed again, not at all accustomed to having someone describe her birth form so blatantly like that. Another twinge of fear rose in her stomach; it would be any moment now. Condemnation. Rejection. Hostility. Bracing herself, Ranma prepared to take it head-on. Only cowards ran away, and despite her fear at what she knew was coming, Ranma would not let herself fall to cowardice.

"You actually listen to me," Melinda went on, oblivious to what was going through Ranma's head. "I know you zone out sometimes, and I do not mind. I know I have a tendency to ramble when I'm nervous or flustered, which I am whenever I'm around you - the butterflies in my stomach have petitioned for permanent residence down there. But you listened, and never insulted me or talked down to me like I was some empty-headed blonde bimbo.

"Never once have you ogled me, or made me uncomfortable with constant flirting. You never got distracted by my breasts, or made a discrete grab for my ass when you thought you could get away with it. You gave the appreciate looks on occasions that every girl likes to receive, but you never leered like a sex-obsessed pervert.

"Although I would not have minded too much if you had tried," She added, giving Ranma a covered glance from the corner of her eye.

Ranma winced, feeling each word like a knife to the gut. Listing her good qualities like that made her feel like more and more of a heel, and she knew it would make the coming non-acceptance exponentially worse. Her back slumped, and she found herself unable to even look at the other girl; if she would only get it over with...

"You can be smart, you are always sexy," Melinda continued, sniffling slightly. "You have a great sen-sense of humour, but never got overly silly or anything like that. The p-passion you have f-for what you love dr-drive me wild, a-and you n-never made a big deal when you found out my family has money," She paused. "Unlike some other friend and relationships I could mention..."

She turned in the redheads direction, her head still hung low and her face still hidden by blonde bangs glowing golden in the faint porch light.

"And now... and n-now, I find out y-y-you t-turn into a girl..." Melinda whispered, her voice cracking again. Ranma could see a glistening teardrop strike the ground, followed by several more. Each one sent another knife into her gut.

"I thought you were p-perfect..." The blond repeated. "I r-really th-th-thought you were..."

Ranma started as she felt a pair of soft hands cup her cheeks, gently lifting her head up. her eyes grew wide as she saw Melinda's face, the blonde girl's eyes shimmering and smile angelic.

"Now..." She whispered, leaning in close, her breath tickling against the other girl's lips. Gently she caressed a hand up her face, weaving her fingers through the bright red tresses. "Now... I know you are."

Without another word, Melinda closed the distance between them, capturing the dumbfounded boy-turned-girl's lips with her own.

* * *

End Chapter Fifteen

* * *

Author's Notes:

And there you have part two. And to clear things up before the barrage of misunderstandings, Melinda is bisexual. She likes both of Ranma's forms, not just one or the other - although she has a preference for men

Now that that is out of the way, I'd like to quickly address another thing that's been showing up a lot in reviews. The X-Gene has three, for lack of a better term, statuses. **Dormant**, **advanced**, and **active**. **Dormant** x-genes are the ones that will NOT result in mutation. They will remain inactive, but will be passed along to the bearer's children. **Advanced** x-genes are the ones that WILL result in mutation, once they become **active**. An **active** x-gene, as you may have guessed by now, is an advanced gene that has 'awakened' and caused the bearer to undergo their mutation. Of the Tendo sisters, Nabiki is the only one born with an advanced X-gene. Kasumi had a dormant gene (now enhanced, through an event you can easily see back in chapter 12), and Akane is baseline. Baseline means a normal human, by the way, so there is no chance of her going through mutation. At all. Akane is human.

I've done some drawings of various characters while working night shift on the cash register. In my profile is a link to my deviantart page, where you can find a picture I did of Melinda Frost. It's poorly scanned, and I hope to put up a better one as soon as I can, along with some of the other characters I've drawn from the story.

While there, take a look an find **wildfire72**'s page (there should be a link on mine). He's done a few phenominal pieces of fanart (titled 'Network' and 'EVO') for Evolution One Half, and I hope he doesn't mind me bringing attention to it

That said, thank you all for reading, and please, please, PLEASE review. I'm a whore for reviews; give me more, and I can give more back. As incentive, here is a semi-amusing omake!

* * *

OMAKE, 'Noah's Ark'

"An' what 'bout the rest of 'em?" The pigtailed boy asked, bending down to pick up a stuffed panda, idly noting that it looked remarkably similar to his father.

"That's your cut," Risty answered, grunting in frustration as she made several attempts slam the trunk closed. "You can do whatever-" her speech halted as a light brown blur suddenly shot out of the trunk and disappeared under the car.

"Dammit! Biscuit, get back here!" Risty cursed, dropping to the ground. "Don't let it get away!" She ordered Ranma and Rogue. "We need that ferret! The brakes won't work without that little wanker!"

END OMAKE

* * *

And, an alternate version...

Alternate Omake: 'The One Who Got Away'.

"An' what 'bout the rest of 'em?" The pigtailed boy asked, bending down to pick up a stuffed panda, idly noting that it looked remarkably similar to his father.

"That's your cut," Risty answered, grunting in frustration as she made several attempts slam the trunk closed. "You can do whatever-" her speech halted as a light brown blur suddenly shot out of the trunk and disappeared under the car.

"Dammit! Biscuit, get back here!" Risty cursed, dropping to the ground. "Don't let it get away!" She ordered Ranma and Rogue. "That's one of the pre-readers! We need the little wanker to make this fic readable!"

* * *

Okay... I'm done now. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and again, please review! I love hearing what the readers think.

* * *


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Evolution 1/2**

* * *

Disclaimer: Catch that ferret! It stole the real disclaimer, the one where I said I don't own Ranma 1/2 or X-Men: Evolution!

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

* * *

The moon was a pale sliver in the dead night sky, cloudless and bible black. The pinpricks of stars and constellations seemed somehow intrusive, and an unseasonably chill breeze was whipping through the air. The silence was oppressive, and even the intermittent cries of insects and nocturnal life were quickly swallowed by it.

By night, the Xavier Institute was said, by it's handful of students and instructors, to be almost abnormally silent; away from the Bayville city proper, the sounds of third-shift traffic and unruly night time trouble-makers did not reach the mansion grounds. The school's residents were asleep at this late hour, adding credence to this belief - no one was awake, planning the next series of pranks on their half-brother, nor was anyone flying about the grounds, causing all manner of collateral damage as they learned to control the gifts endowed to them through genetics.

There were exceptions to the rule, of course, like when a second-story window was shattered by exquisitely-crafted pieces of flying china at 2:37 am.

Twisting and writhing fitfully in her sleep, Jean Grey was cloaked with a thin sheen of sweat, drenching her bright blue pajamas; her covers, long since kicked off, had joined the dancing clothes and shoes sailing and darting in random trajectories throughout the bedroom. Books smashed against the wall, their pages being strewn about of their own volition, and even the furniture had joined the macabre puppet show, stiffly lurching around and regurgitating their contents.

The redhead released a violent shudder, unknowingly timed with the destruction of the mirrors on her bureau. Turbulent chaos infested her dreams, plunging the girl into a void of endless black; out of the corners of her eyes she could see shapes, prowling demons of claws and fangs. Yellow eyes filled with malice.

Moaning pitifully in her sleep, Jean thrust an arm outward to ward off the horrid abominations of her dream; a framed photograph of her parents embedded itself in the wall like a thrown knife, quivering viciously.

They were getting closer; she knew this without being able to see them. They were after her, after her blood, her flesh, the very marrow in her bones. They liked it chilled. Her fear was an elixir to them, greater than the god's own ambrosia. Screaming, she thrust her splayed palms towards them in a futile gesture; intent on their prey, they could not be driven back.

The glass sconces affixed to her walls shattered in counter-clockwise succession, the shards joining the maelstrom of movement, ripping apart clothe and plaster.

The baleful yellow eyes were upon her now, glittering razor claws swiping and slicing at her skin, red hot lances of fire across her trembling flesh. Silent screams escaped her throat as her vocal cords were slashed to ribbons. No one would hear her pain, it was for them alone to savour.

Gasping, Jean bolted upright, the whites of her eyes wide with horror; several minutes passed, her breath ragged, heart threatening the explode from her chest before she realized where she was. Her room was still now, her possession scattered about as if discarded by an errant hurricane.

Pushing herself away from her bed, Jean staggered through the door, miraculously intact, and silently down the twilight halls. Stumbling into the girl's lavatory, she propped herself against the countertop, uncaring as her quavering hands knocked combs and cosmetics to the cold tile floor. She could still feel the eyes on her, watching and waiting.

Meeting her own green eyes in the mirror, Jean's breathing slowly returned to normal, her heartbeat resuming a steady pace. The bags under her eyes made her wince, and her beautiful hair was a ratted nest of red, dripping with sweat. "Calm down, girl," her voice was hoarse. "It was only a nightmare, you're fine now. You're in control."

It was easy to lie to herself, even easier to lie to her friends; she could see the concern that had been growing in their expressions since the carnival three days prior, and had thus far managed to placate their worries with hollow affirmations. She couldn't let them see her weak, see her falter; she was Jean Grey, she didn't need their help with this! Her powers were completely under her control.

She could handle any problems on her own, hers and those of her friends; wasn't she the one they came to for advice? Wasn't she the one the Professor had taken on as a personal student? Wasn't she the one adored by the student body, star of the soccer, track and basketball teams? Honors student, celebrated athlete, skilled instructor to younger mutants - she didn't need anything or any help from anyone.

Except Ranma. She needed him.

She needed a null.

* * *

Trudging through the halls as he made his rounds, Harrison kept an ear open for anything that might disturb the quiet of the early morning. His heavy footsteps echoed throughout the building, not loud enough to wake the patients - many of which, with the sleeping aides they'd been given, couldn't be aroused by a mack truck crashing through their walls blaring heavy metal at 120 decibels.

It would change soon, though. Already the orange sunlight was streaming through the iron bars on the windows, muted only by the thick frosted glass. Many patients of St. Rita of Cascia Psychiatric Hospital awoke with the dawn, due mainly to spasmodic sleep patterns in the first place. It was especially prevalent here in the Scutum Fidei Maximum Security Ward, although for very different reasons.

'Ten more minutes,' Harrison thought to himself, glancing up at the wire-caged clock on the wall. 'Which means...'

As if on cue, his earpiece crackled. _"Lieutenant Fort to section 10 for 5am check. Over."_

"Lieutenant Fort here," He replied softly, "Acknowledged and on my way. Over."

Navigating his way through sterile white halls, Harrison made the necessary calls to the other guards needed for this task; the Maximoff girl's mood changed on an hourly basis, and one could never be too careful. She couldn't use her powers with her hands bound as they were, but she had a vicious headbutt and could kick like an ostrich.

A pair of guards and a pair of orderlies fell in step behind him as he walked; five was the standard number of bodies to have on hand when going into Section X. Harrison would honestly have been more comfortable with ten times that.

Approaching Section X, Harrison nodded to the pair of guards on either side of the door that separated the area from the rest of the ward. Flashing the two men his security clearance, they nodded and stepped aside, the one on the right punching a nine-digit code into the keypad next to the door; they knew him by sight, of course, but rules in Scutum Fidei were strictly enforced.

The door slid open with a hiss, revealing a small room with another door in the wall directly adjacent. To the side were a pair of terminals, each manned by a uniformed guard seated in a black swivel chair bolted to the floor. Eight monitors were set into the walls above them, each showing one of the eight cells of Section X. At the moment, only two were occupied. On the wall behind them was a coffee machine and several sets of armour and riot gear for use in times of emergency - the residents of Section X were too dangerous to not have such a precaution.

"Anythin' unusual to report?" Harrison asked, glancing up at the screens.

"Nothing, sir," one of the men - the dark-haired one; the other had lighter hair, and it was honestly the only way Harrison could tell them apart - responded, not removing his gaze from the terminal before him. "Number four slept peacefully, aside from some spikes in her brainwave patterns and a little singing in her sleep, but that's nothing to write home about. Number seven..." He shrugged, glancing up at his superior. "Well, if she slept, we didn't see it."

"They have names," Harrison frowned, giving the man a hard look.

"With all due respect, sir," The other man piped up, taking a sip of steaming hot coffee. "We don't like to think about that." He silently gestured towards the equipment behind them.

Nodding - although privately he disagreed with the idea - Harrison thought upon what they'd said. "What was Thaliá singin'?" He made sure to put a strong inflection on her name.

"Tom Sawyer," The first man answered. "By that Canadian band."

"Rush?" The other man helpfully supplied.

"Yeah, that's the one. I saw 'em live once, y'know..."

Harrison ignored their banter, his attention focused now on the monitor for room number seven. Wanda was hunched against the solid metal walls inside, staring directly at the camera with furious eyes. Her mouth was moving, but the guard wasn't able to hear what she was saying. "Turn the audio up on number seven," he ordered.

"Can't." The dark-haired one said. "Audio busted more than a week ago. Someone was supposed to be in last Tuesday-"

"I'm goin' in then," Harrison said, cutting off the man's story; the terminal jockeys didn't have a lot of outside contact, and tended to talk your ear off it given half the chance. Placing his hand against the small blue panel next to the door, a buzz sounded and the heavy door slid open. The guards and orderlies followed inside with him, leaving the terminal watchers alone in the room.

Passing by the first three rooms without as much as a glance, Harrison lingered for a moment to peek in on the occupant of Room 4. A ghost of a smile crossed over his face upon seeing the sleeping figure inside, and he moved on.

Stopping outside Room 7, Harrison raised a fist to halt the men behind him; sliding open the view panel, he peeked through the wire screen to the inside. "Good morning," He said cautiously, casting his eyes about; the room appeared to be empty now, even though not forty seconds before the girl had been sitting in the corner he was staring at right now. "Wanda?"

No response.

"Arms at ready," Harrison whispered to the men behind him, pulling out his access key. "We're going in."

Harrison flinched back violently as he turned to suddenly meet a pair of cold blue eyes locked directly with his own, the upper part of the right iris dashed with green. Both were burning cauldrons of hate, boring deep into his soul. Her demand, barely above a whisper, froze his blood; ignoring the instinct to flee, he met her gaze directly. "What," He swallowed, steeling himself against the fear rising in the pit of his stomach. "What did you say?"

"I said," Wanda snarled, narrowing her eyes to thin slits. "Bring. Me. Xavier."

* * *

Soft footsteps sounded through the empty corridors of the sub-levels of the mansion, lights flickering on as Ranma came within their sensor range, clad in his skintight red-and-black uniform. Stifling a yawn with the back of his hand, the pigtailed mutant shook the last vestiges of sleep from his mind as he approached the large door at the end of the hallway. Placing a hand against the pad to his right, the door split open, bisecting the large 'X' it was imprinted with.

Stepping inside, Ranma waited a few seconds for the lights to come on, taking the time to stretch the rest of his muscles into readiness; He had about an hour and half before the morning class woke up, and intended to use that time to his advantage - not to mention work off no small amount of accumulated stress and frustration.

The lights finally came on, illuminating the solid metal walls of the Danger Room, every inch of which held nasty surprises to test and confound the user, as well as the hologram generators used in the training scenarios. At the top of the dome-shaped ceiling was the circular control booth, currently empty at this early hour.

"Ah..." Ranma sighed happily, walking to the center of the massive chamber. "Nothin' like good old-fashioned early-mornin' trainin' in a specially-designed high tech gizmo-ma-bob that could kill me. Good times."

"Computer," He said in a loud, clear voice as he stretched his arms above his head to work out any kinks in his shoulders. "Initiate program 'RanmaSNK'. Difficulty level nine."

'_WARNING_,' The emotionless, slightly-feminine computerized voice responded. '_LEVEL NINE DIFFICULTY REQUIRES INSTRUCTOR CONFIRMATION TO PROCEED.'_

"Okaasan."

'_COMFIRMATION ACCEPTED. WELCOME SAOTOME-SAN. BEGINNING PROGRAM_.'

Ranma closed his eyes as the world around him began went hazy, the unseen hologram projectors creating a new world around him. Opening them again, he was now in a massive dojo, at least five times the size of any he'd even been in before, easily capable of accommodating over a hundred students. The walls were high and covered in thin paper windows and doors, as well as an assortment of tapestries portraying Ranma is numerous battles (both real and imagined). At the far end stood a small shrine, which Ranma respectfully bowed towards.

He was always a little overwhelmed by the complexity of the Danger Room's hologram capabilities; he could feel the individual grains of wood on the floor beneath his bare feet, and the sunlight streaming through the windows felt warm upon his skin. In some ways it felt more real than even the natural world; it was kind of creepy.

Standing in the middle of the dojo, Ranma took a deep, cleansing breath, letting a meditative trance fall over him as he took in the atmosphere - artificial thought it may be, it worked. Letting his body control him, he began several slow tai chi exercises, letting his energy flow naturally as he slowly built up speed and power.

Shifting into a Kalaripayattu dance, Ranma began moving about the center of the dojo, letting the flow and style of the Indian martial art take control of his form. Seemingly random punches and kicks, dodges and spins blended together into a physical melody of movement as his tension began to seep away, the pent-up frustrations and anxieties of his life disappearing in the whirlwind of movement.

The energy of his body was flowing with him in time, and the empty energy that was his nullification moved with it, suffusing every cell of his being. He could feel it clearly like this, feel the void of power among his ki as it pumped and surged with his dance, increasing the force of his strikes and the grace of his movements.

Thoughts floated along his conscious, allowing him a detached view of the various problems and aspects of his life. He was worried about Jean, with her constantly increasing need for his null technique - and thus far, the only recipient thereof, now that he thought about it. Had he even told the others he'd developed the move? He couldn't recall.

The dancing style of Kalaripayattu proceeded easily into Capoeira, dropping the upper-body strikes for more fluid kicks and sweeps. The sunlight began to fade around him, leaving the dojo in twilight and sending shadows stretching across the hard wooden floor. Ranma didn't notice.

He'd been forced to avoid her for the last several days now, even going so far as to forgo her private practice session for a hastily-thrown together group exercise in an effort to keep from being alone with her. Such methods wouldn't last forever, though; she was becoming more and more desperate. Any suggestion he made that she see the professor was shot down as she assured him that she had things under control, that she just 'needed one more null'. The evidence of this however, in Ranma's opinion, was greatly lacking.

Flipping out of a headstand and landing on his feet, Ranma blended the South American style with elements of Muay Thai. His ki surged as he increased his speed, flowing into his muscles and expanding his awareness. One of the dojo doors slid open of it's own volition, and thick fog began to waft inside, hiding the wooden floor beneath his feet.

His hair flickered red as images of Melinda forced their way into his mind, bringing with them the memories of the night of the carnival; through sheer force of will he prevented himself from completely changing. He'd been dumbstruck by both proclamation and kiss, his mind unable to come to grips with what had just happened. It had been the second time he'd been kissed as a girl, and while he liked the blonde American far more than Mikado Sanzenin, the event had still freaked the hell out of him. Not because of her bisexuality -he assumed it was such, given how she'd acted towards him before learning of the curse - but more due to the overwhelming tolerance of the curse she had offered.

Acceptance like that was alien to him, and Ranma had been unable to deal with it, leaving Melinda alone on her front porch as she fled off into the night.

Ranma suddenly bent backwards as a gleaming steel shuriken sliced through the air where his head had just been,; embedding itself in the wooden wall behind him, Ranma smirked as he saw several dark figures in the fog, and all other concerns fled his mind.

"Feh," He sneered. "Ninjas."

A heavy rhythmic, electronic beat began blaring in the background, assaulting his ears as the sudden strobes overhead attacked his sight. The windows and doors crashed open as more black-clad assassins streamed in, bearing a variety of weapons and disappearing into the fog.

Ranma grinned nastily, leaping into the mist around him and shifting into a combination of Krav Maga, Shotokan, and pure Anything-Goes, taking on dozens of nearly-invisible opponents at once. No quarter was offered and no quarter was given as he ruthlessly tore through his assailants, forsaking style and showmanship for pure lethality. For every one he incapacitated, three more seemed to come in response.

The pigtailed fighter welcomed them all with a savage grin; this was why he loved the Danger Room. "Difficulty Ten!" He ordered, bashing his head into the chest of another ninja. The simulation rippled for a brief moment, and the opponents immediately started moving faster, striking harder, and attacking en-masse; Ranma increased the flow of his ki to match them, letting instinct fight as much as mind and body.

Ripping a pair of tonfa out of the hands of an enemy and turning it against him, Ranma quickly disabled the foe. Turning to find another, he discovered that each and every ninja had been dealt with. Which meant...

"Amazing, Saotome," A cruel, masculine voice spoke, accompanied by slow, sarcastic applause. Stepping out from the fog was a smirking, blonde Caucasian man. "Truly astounding. I see you have dispatched of my easily-defeated horde of deadly ninja."

"Geese Howard!" Ranma grinned at the newcomer, thrusting out an accusatory finger. "Diabolical criminal overlord of South Town! Think you have a prayer of beating me this time?"

"Your three King of Fighters Tournament Championship titles mean nothing! And you have no chance of defeating me without your best friend Terry Bogard at your side!" Geese sneered, shifting into a battle stance. "These helpless female hostages shall bear witness to your defeat, and I shall stand over your broken body in triumph!"

"Oh, Ranma!"

"Save us!"

"Your hair is so manly and heroic!"

Ranma laughed derisively and felt his ego swell with the praise. Throwing the stolen tonfa aside and moving into a battle stance of his own, he gestured for Geese to bring it on. "I'd like to see you try."

* * *

Falling to the floor, P-Chan awoke with a surprised 'bwee' and leaped to his hooves, nostrils flared and teeth bared against whoever had dared try to attack Akane in her slumber. They would rue the day they ever thought to - hey, wait a second...

P-Chan turned his tiny head rapidly, taking in his surroundings; since when was Akane's room this big? Did Akane get a new bed when he wasn't looking? And where did the youngest Tendo get such nice things?

Blinking his large eyes, the piglet bwee'd in confusion. Looking up at the bed, he could barely see a shock of bright blonde hair over the edge; listening, he could hear some light snoring, but none of the graceful night-dancing his beloved Akane was known for. P-Chan pondered over this for several minutes, bweeing in understanding as comprehension flooded his eyes.

This wasn't Akane's room!

Recent events slowly trickled into the cursed boy's head, reminding him that not only had he awoken this exact same way for the past three days, but he had somehow stayed put for three whole days. He hadn't once left this room, of course, but he'd wandered into every corner and stayed within it's four walls without misplacing himself.

Looking up at the bed towering over him, P-Chan considered trying to hop back up and getting a few more hours sleep, but quickly discarded the notion; he hadn't been human in almost four days now, and he needed to get back to training. Ranma wasn't going to kick his own ass, after all.

The girl in the bed abruptly shifted position, and a long, toned, silky-smooth leg fell over the side; bweeing in embarrassment, P-Chan dashed underneath the bed, a trickle of blood dripping from his snout. Peeking from behind a storage container, the piglet averted his eyes again upon seeing a slim ankle was still visible. Spinning in the other direction, P-Chan squeezed his way out of the other side.

Looking around, he saw he was now in a completely different room, although just as elegantly decorated as the previous. Behind him was a dark green couch - which apparently contained a secret passage into the bedroom - and before him was an entertainment center with a large television set and other electronics. Bweeing in relief that there was no bare flesh here, P-Chan began trotting along the soft light-blue carpeting, keeping an eye out for any of the home's residents - especially the ones most likely to try and eat him.

Focused as he was on the household decor, P-Chan never noticed the unclothed, feminine leg until he walked directly into it.

"Good to see you again, P-Chan," a sly, familiar voice greeted him. Turning his eyes slowly upward, he flinched back as he met Nabiki's gaze - partly due to the playfully mischievous look in her eyes, and partly due to her being clad in only a long t-shirt barely reaching past her thighs. In her hands was a cup, steam wafting from the contents - coffee, by the smell of it. "Would you like a little hot water?"

P-Chan's snout erupted in a geyser of blood.

* * *

Standing over the defeated form of Geese Howard, Ranma grinned triumphantly. "And next time," He said, adding a kick to the hologram criminal's side, "Hire better ninjas. I hear The Foot is available..."

The hologram merely groaned in pain. Sighing in satisfaction, Ranma turned away, heading for the doors. "End program," He declared, and seconds later the dojo, the ninjas, and Geese Howard dissolved into nothing, the Danger Room returning itself to exactly the way it had been.

Grabbing the towel he'd left by the door, Ranma grinned as he wiped the sweat from his face; he was really beginning to enjoy these private sessions. Sure, it meant having to get up a few hours early - not that he really needed that much sleep to begin with - but it was worth it to be able to continue with his training. Ranma enjoyed his role as combat instructor to the other students, but it had been cutting in on the time he usually spent developing his own skills.

Now that he thought about it, when was the last time he'd come up with a new technique? The Null-Touch was the only one he could really think of; the eye thing he had used in the gallery didn't count, as it's applications for combat were almost non-existent.

What he had seen in the gallery, now that he thought about it, did show some promise. Dozens of possibilities for new techniques had flooded his mind since that day, as well as alterations to existing ones; the ki in Melinda's painting was minimal, but the power he felt in it - and had first dismissed as being too weak to be of use was actually much greater than he'd originally thought. Continued observation and analysis had revealed to him that the energy was actually very tightly compressed, making it seem like less than it really was. That explained how it had been able to linger for so long, and continued to do so, even though it had been initially used several months ago.

Ranma frowned; he still needed to figure out how she and the other artists had done it, though. If people with no knowledge of ki whatsoever could do so much with it, then the possibilities of what he could accomplish... The mere thought sent a delightful tingle down his spine.

All he had to figure out was how to learn what Melinda did without having to deal with Melinda. Maybe one of the others in the class...

Draping the towel over his shoulder, Ranma walked through the doors of the Danger Room - which opened the moment he approached them - and into the sub-basement hallways. The first class of the day would be starting shortly, and he wanted to be out there when it did. Word of his fight with Rahne had spread quickly to those who hadn't seen it, and he thought he'd seen the other kids beginning to put a lot more effort into his sessions since. Another week or so, and they'd be ready to actually start learning more than the mere fundamentals of the Art.

Ranma grinned at the thought; of course, when that began, they would really start hating him.

Blinking rapidly as more sweat fell into his eyes, Ranma, grabbed the towel and wiped it away; when his vision was clear again, it was suddenly filled with the sad green eyes of a tall redhead. "Gah!" Ranma shouted, falling to the floor. "Where did you come from?!"

"Ranma," Jean , dropping down to the floor next to him, her voice cracking as she spoke. "I need a null, really really badly!"

"Huh?" Ranma said, quickly shaking off the surprise her sudden appearance had brought about; how had she managed to sneak up on him? Was he just tired from training, or were those ninjitsu lessons he was giving her paying off more then he'd thought? "What?"

"You heard me!" She exclaimed, her left eye twitching. "I just had a nightmare and ended up destroying my room! I can't let something like this happen today, not with the thing this morning at school! Gimme a null, PLEEEEEEASE!"

"No!" Ranma exclaimed, shaking his head vigorously.

"I'll be your best friend..."

"You actually think that's gonna work, Red?"

"Please?" Jean begged, clasping her hands in front of her pleadingly. "Just one. I promise I'll talk to the professor tonight, on-on my, uh, honour!"

Every instinct was telling him this was a bad idea, that he should say no, and just leave; despite this, Ranma found himself wavering. Jean was generally trustworthy when it came to this sort of thing, and as long as he'd known her she hadn't gone back on a promise. "You'll talk t'him tonight?"

"Cross my heart," Jean replied, moving one hand in a gesture over her chest; Ranma noted how much the limb was shaking as she did it. "I won't bother you again for one, and I'll talk to Professor Xavier as soon as we get home from Duncan's party."

Taking in a deep breath, Ranma nodded. "Alright, fine," He said. "But this is the last one I give you, got it?"

Jean's nod was so forceful it looked as if her neck would snap. Eying her carefully, Ranma began focusing his inner energies, directing his ki to construct a thin shell around the empty energy of the nullification. Within moments the Null was formed, and Jean leaned forward eagerly, eyes glowing with anticipation and forced patience.

Raising a now-glowing hand, he pressed it against the telepath's forehead, directing the Null into her; the moment it touched her skin, he felt the shell dissolve, his ki carrying the nullification throughout out her body.

With an involuntary full-body twitch, Jean's eyes rolled backwards in pure, abject pleasure as she felt the pressure and need drain from her like water down a drain. Her body went through several sudden, almost violent spasms as simple pleasure turned into utter ecstasy as the feeling spread throughout her body, taking away every worry and physical pain she didn't even know she had. Her breathing quickened, and she fell back against the floor, arching her back and letting out a moan that echoed throughout the halls.

Ranma suddenly smelled sushi.

"Oh, god," Jean breathed deeply, her eyes opening into a half-lidded gaze; that had felt simply... divine. "Oh god oh god oh GOD! That was amazing, Ranma..."

"Uh... glad I could, um, yeah, help."

"I mean it," She said, struggling to pull herself off of the floor. "You have no idea how much I needed that. The voices and images and eyes are gone, and I feel just... wonderful."

"Eyes?"

"Never mind that," Jean said hurriedly, cursing herself for letting that slip; he didn't need to know about that, nobody did. They weren't watching her anymore, that was all that mattered. "Thank you so much Ranma."

"Remember yer promise," The pigtailed boy said, getting to his feet and staring down at her impassively. "Ya gave me yer word that ya would talk to Professor X tonight."

"I will," She said, bringing herself upright as well. And she would; she had just never promised exactly what she would be talking to the man about.

"Good," He said, turning away and disappearing down the hall. "'Cause if ya don't... I will."

Still riding high on the pure delight of feeling a null once more, Jean barely heard him. Running her hands along her arms, she shivered again, a broad smile plastered across her pretty face. She'd gotten what she wanted, and that was all that mattered. Sighing once more, Jean skipped through the hall after him, hoping she had done laundry recently, and that it had not been destroyed with the rest of her room.

* * *

Dropping her books off in her locker, Melinda couldn't stop herself from humming a cheerful tune as she skipped down the stairs to her first period class. Drawing was one of her favourite pastimes, and she loved Dante as a teacher, but her current state of bliss this morning had nothing to do with the subject nor the man who taught it.

Rather, the blonde-haired artist was anticipating seeing the man of her dreams once again after the long, boring weekend they had spent apart. Her bright green eyes glazed over for a moment as her mind drifted back to the previous Friday night, and the discovery of Ranma's cursed form, and her heart swelled at the memory of the kiss she had shared with the boy's female form. Images of the first time she had locked lips with him accompanied it, and her heartbeat increased. Two distinct forms, both of them containing a perfection the great masters had only dreamed of being able to immortalize in marble.

Melinda held no illusions that what she had done would change things in any significant way - at least, not at first. The blonde was hoping Ranma would come to realize that, unlike most other girls, she would accept both boy and girl. She had to admit she was still quite weirded out that Ranma could be both man and woman - subject to change with such a simple thing as the temperature of a glass of water - and that the true reality of the situation would take a lot more time to sink in. But she was an open-minded girl, and was easily capable of accepting him the way he was.

She more than liked him the way he was, and that had not changed in the least since Friday night's discovery.

Tripping over her feet, Melinda's cheeks flushed red and she giggled in embarrassment as she caught herself against a trash bin. Bearing the laughter of the students around her, she continued at a more steady gait.

What was it like, changing gender so easily? Melinda held no desire to be a man - screw Freud and his inane concept of 'penis envy', she was proud of her sex - but it was an interesting thought experiment. What would she look like if she had been born male? Would she still be blonde, or would she have her father's dark brown hair?

Setting these thoughts aside for future contemplation, Melinda practically bounced into Dante's classroom. "Good morning Dante!" She greeted the man sitting at the desk beside the door. "How was your weekend?"

"Packers failed to cover the spread," Dante replied, smiling back in response despite the sorrowful tone of his voice. "But the important thing, is how was your weekend? Did you enjoy the carnival?"

"My car got stolen," She replied, her grin not wavering as she delivered the news. "Right out of the parking lot."

"Uh..." The art teacher raised an eyebrow. "Congratulations?"

"Ranma walked me home," Melinda continued, clutching her bag tightly against her chest as if it were the boy himself; Dante nodded in comprehension, shaking his head with a knowing grin. "Speaking of, has he been in yet?"

"The young man was here, yes," Dante acknowledged. "He got here early, asking if her could spend the class in the art gallery today. I granted him the request."

"Oh..." Melinda said, her smile faltering slightly. He'd left? "Did he say why?"

"Research," Dante replied with a shrug. "I was just glad he seems to finally have taken an interest in the class, so I didn't inquire further."

That made sense, Melinda nodded to herself, dropping her bag off at her seat as the other students filtered in. A nagging doubt began eating away at her mind as she gathered her supplies, but she forced it out of her mind. If Ranma was developing a deeper appreciation of art, and wanted to spend some time in the gallery better acquainting himself with it, that was fine. She'd see him when he came back for painting, anyway.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Honestly?" Tofu replied, glancing up at Professor Xavier. "No, probably not. But I have to give it a try."

"I would like to add my own objections to this," Ororo said. The African woman and the Institute's physician were sitting across from each other on the soft grass next to the pool behind the mansion. Next to them was Xavier, his chair resting on the unobtrusive stone pathway that cut through the yard; Logan was standing a few yards away, watching with amusement. "It is more than a bad idea, it is the very definition of stupid."

"I don't see why everyone is making such a big deal about this," Tofu said, adjusting his glasses as he turned back to Ororo. "It's just an alternative form of therapy."

"An alternative form of therapy?" Ororo repeated, raising a snow-white eyebrow. "You are asking me to electrocute you!"

"Only a little!"

"Tofu," Xavier interjected. "If you like, I can postpone my visit to St. Rita's for an hour or so, and we can have a normal session-"

"You have to go, Charles," Tofu replied, shaking his head. "I appreciate the sentiment, but the normal therapy seems to have reached it's limits."

"Speakin' of," Logan said, drawing the attention of the other three; tapping the face of his watch, he gestured with his head in the general direction of the garage. "We need t'get goin', Chuck."

"Very well," Xavier sighed, turning his chair around with a quiet 'whirrr'. "I don't suppose you will change your mind on this?"

"Oh, I might," Tofu chuckled nervously, again adjusting his spectacles. Across from him Ororo rolled her eyes. Holding up both hands, a wicked grin sprouted on her face as small bolts of electricity crackled between her fingers; Tofu gulped nervously.

Xavier sighed, shaking his head as he followed Logan to the garage. "Don't do too much damage to our medic, Ororo." He called back over his shoulder.

"I make no promises," Ororo shouted back. "Alright," She said, looking back at Tofu. "Let's be quick about this inanity - I do have to be at my sister's in a few hours."

"Of course," Tofu nodded. "Do you remember what you have to do?"

"Any time that your glasses fog over, I am to send a small but significant electrical jolt through you." The white-haired woman said. "I got it. Now... tell me about Kasumi Tendo."

A wide smile broke out on Tofu's face as the image of Kasumi came to the forefront of his mind. Her long silky hair. Those sweet, beautiful eyes, always kind and welcoming no matter the situation. Her musical laugh, those long, slender legs...His vision went cloudy...

_BRRRZAAP! "_GYAAAAAH_!"_

Sighing, Ororo pulled her hand away from Tofu's singed form as the doctor soon returned to reality. "That was one," She commented. "Would you like to try saying something about her now?"

"Uh..." Tofu shook his head rapidly, quickly regaining his mental faculties. "Sure. Kasumi is a wonderfully sweet girl, kind and generous to everyone she meets. Smart, too." He smiled. "High school valedictorian, in fact. That's when she first started borrowing books from me... always so eager to learn..." His glasses began fogging over again.

_BRRRZAAP! _"AHH-GYAAAAHA!"

Ororo sighed. Yeah, this was going to take a while...

* * *

"Yes, our girl's soccer team had a truly magnificent season," Principal Kelly declared proudly, his voice echoing through the clip-on microphone at his collar and carrying to the assembled student body filling the seats of the auditorium. Behind him was a long white table, covered with nearly two dozen trophies of varying shapes and sizes.

Breathing slowly and deeply, Jean barely heard the man's speech, despite sitting a mere six rows from the stage he stood upon. Outwardly, her appearance was immaculate as always - well-dressed, eyes bright and every strand of hair in place.

"They thought like a team..."

On the inside, however, her mind was raging against her, and it was only through sheer force of will that she was able to keep any measure of control. This wasn't right, she'd had a null only a few hours ago! She shouldn't need another one so soon!

"...they played like a team..."

Her mind was being torn apart by the inexplicable need raging through her; she knew Ranma wouldn't be happy if she came to him again so soon, but she had no choice. She just had to make sure she could get him alone again, without anyone else; people were already suspicious enough.

"...and they respected each other as teammates!"

She had to figure out some way to get what she needed; if she came on too strong again, he'd probably go back into hiding. Jean shuddered at the thought of having to hunt him down again; she couldn't let him do that. She would get what she wanted, even if she had to force him to do it...

"And," Kelly continued, turning around and picking a trophy off the table behind him a medium-sized award, adorned with a girl in the midst of kicking a soccer ball, atop an elongated octagon emblazoned with the letters 'MVP' - and holding it up proudly. "It was those same teammates that have voted unanimously, their pick for this season's Most Valuable Player..."

Jean blinked, startled out of her thoughts with the realization that something was going on around her.

"... JEAN GREY!" Kelly finished, hoisting the trophy into the air, his voice echoing through the sudden explosion of cheering.

Thoughts of nulls fleeing from her mind, Jean released a breath she didn't even know she was holding. The cheering crowd around her was near-deafening, and despite her current mental predicament, the redhead couldn't help but smile. Getting out of her seat, she shuffled her way down the row, apologizing to the owners of the numerous feet she trod upon.

More than a dozen rows back -amidst the hooting and hollering - Scott was clapping as hard as everyone else, a small smile on his face. "Way to go, Jean," He said softly. To his left were Kurt, Evan and Kitty, all clapping and cheering with the rest of the student body.

With a few exceptions, of course.

"WOOHOO!" Risty howled, her nearly jumping out of her seat in excitement. "Yeah! You go, Jean!" To the left of the Brit sat Rogue clapping half-heartedly before giving up, unable to even feign enthusiasm. Rolling her eyes and crossing her arms at her friend's strange degree of enthusiasm, she missed the sharp elbow jam into her bicep.

"Is that anyway to support your house-mate?" Risty scolded. "She needs your support, you know."

"Princess Jean's got enough people gushin' over her," She replied, shaking her head. "At least Ranma has the right idea." Rogue gestured to her other side, where the pigtailed boy slouched, head propped up against the back of the seat; a thin line of drool ran from his mouth. As cute as the sight was, the southern mutant was glad the current ruckus was enough to drown out the snoring. "Why are ya gettin' all excited about this anyway? Ya don't even know Jean."

"Do to," Risty countered, turning her gaze back to the stage, where Jean was accepting the trophy from Principal Kelly. "I have AP Calculus with her fifth period. Now hush, I wanna hear what she has to say."

Rolling her eyes again, Rogue slumped forward disinterestedly. As if she could care less what the sneaky little tramp was going to say...

"Uh, thank you, Principal Kelly," Jean said, stuttering slightly into the microphone as she nervously held up her award. "And I would, uh, especially like to thank all of you who, uh-"

The redhead cut off as she heard a familiar voice enter her head unbidden. _**'Yeah Jean,**_' Rogue's thoughts rang loud and clear. _**'Bask in the glory, little miss perfect, everyone just loves you...' **_

Jean's eyes reflexively locked on Rogue, surprising the other girl. '_**Hey, why is she lookin' at me now?'**_

Mentally shaking it off, Jean tried to continue speaking. "Uh, s-sorry," She stuttered; not now, please don't let it happen now... "I-I, uh, want t-to thank, uh.."

_**'Stay cool, Jean,'**_ Her eyes whipped to where Scott was sitting, leaning forward in his seat with a look of concern. _**'Don't choke now...'**_

_**'Come on, you can do it.'**_ Kurt. _**'Oh man,' **_Evan now. _**'She's freezin' bad!' **__**'Thank God that's not me...'**_ Kitty.

"Uh... I, uh," Sweat began to trickle down her forehead, and her need for a null came surging back into her; Ranma must have cheated her with a weak null; there could be no other explanation! "I...I..."

_**'When is this going to be over?' **_The thoughts were coming in waves now, too many for her to sort out whom was thinking what. _**'-what kind of-' '-udding, and maybe some p-' '-would tap that ass so har-'**_

Her head whipped around, sending a mad-eyed glare to a group of boys in the third row; she didn't know who's thought that had been, and already it was being overwhelmed by the deluge of mental impressions bearing down on her.

_**'Don't wanna go back to-choking up-shower, and-make the track tea-new carsDoctorhomeworkBrianskippingSandrawhojocks-' **_They were all running together now, a constant barrage of confusion, pity, boredom, anger, lust, depression... Jean's head was pounding with an atonal rhythmic pain; her eyes focused on Ranma, latching on to his sleeping form and pushing on his mind against her will. He snapped awake, looking around in bewilderment, but the shield over his mind held strong.

_**'-Hurryitup-atswrongwithhe-annagetout-ssheokay-hothehellcares-etonwithit-eallyneedatokerigh-'**_

"Stop it!" She hissed out a barely audible whisper, hard to hear even with the amplification of the microphone. Hands suddenly clutching at her head and eyes squeezed shut, she tried in vain to force the voices out, not even noticing as the trophy flew from her grasp. "All of you, stop it! I CAN'T HEAR MYSELF THINK"

The force became physically overpowering, and her legs gave out; the table behind her was flung backwards, the awards atop it scattering across the floor. Her own trophy landed on the hard wooden stage, the head of the figure at the top snapping off at the neck.

Then, all of a sudden, the influx of minds ceased. Starting, Jean stared out at the silent crowd, receiving looks of concern and confusion in response. Principal Kelly was staring at her on the other end of the stage, a mixture of concern and suspicion playing out over his features.

Unnoticed by the redhead, Scott rose from his seat, ready to help at the first sign of more trouble.

Blinking, Jean dazedly raised a hand to her forehead, rubbing her temple; she could feel the pressure still, steadily increasing, but for the moment her powers were back under her control. This had been the worst one yet, she realized, fear rising in the pit of her stomach - the fight in the gym the previous Friday was a close second, if only because there weren't near as many people there. Glancing out to the crowd again, she sent a pleading look in Ranma's direction, wishing desperately that she could break through the immunity and convince him to give her another precious null.

Quickly collecting her thoughts, Jean crouched down and retrieved the trophy, feeling an ominous chill in her bones at the sight of the cleanly severed head. Standing back up, she stared at it, embarrassed. "Uh, sorry," She said, looking out at the crowd again with a more confident smile, masking the nervousness and need raging inside her. "I guess I... lost my head there for a sec..."

The crowd quieted down, giving the girl polite laughter in response to the weak attempt at humour. Reluctantly, Scott returned to his seat, although he remained poised to leap to assistance if needed.

"As I was saying," Jean continued, "I'd like to thank my teammates, our great coach, and of course, everyone who showed up to support us throughout the season..."

She continued speaking, barely paying attention to her own words as she thanked various people and talked about soccer. Ranma had to give her what she needed, and she was going to get it - whether he wanted to give it to her or not.

* * *

"Is it just me," Kitty said, glancing around quickly to ensure that no-one else was close enough to hear. "Or has Jean been acting, like, totally weird lately?"

"It's not you," Evan replied, pushing the door open as they exited the auditorium with the rest of the student body; the sports awards ceremony had ended early, giving everyone plenty of time to get to their third-period classes. "Something is definitely up with that girl."

"She's been looking real frazzled too," Kitty added, frowning. "And she's kinda snappy, y'know?"

"Yeah, I noticed," Evan agreed, hitching his backpack up over one shoulder and shifting his skateboard under his other arm. "She practically tore Amara's head off this morning when she spilled the syrup!"

"Think it was anything similar to last Friday?" She asked, continuing after a brief pause. "Unless she actually meant to tear down the gym..."

"With how scared she looked?" Evan shook his head. "Nu-uh, it wasn't on purpose, man. I don't think we need to worry about it, though. It's probably just stress."

"She does have a lot of hard classes this year," Kitty said thoughtfully, considering the possibility as they walked across the open area separating the auditorium from the main school building. "You're probably right, but we should keep an eye on her. If this total freakiness with her powers keeps happening, the Professor needs to know."

Evan nodded, his eyes flickering to his watch. "I'll pass along the word," he said, dropping his skateboard to the ground and stepping onto it. "Gotta get to Earth Science. Later!"

The brunette frowned slightly as she watched the boy glide away, absently returning his wave as she did - something about the way he was leaving hit her wrong. "Hey," She said, realizing what it was that bothered her. "Earth Science isn't anywhere in that direction..."

"Hey Kitty! Wait up!"

The brunette looked over her shoulder, smiling faintly as she saw Lance jogging up to her. Putting Evan out of her mind, she slowed down to allow the brown-haired boy to catch up.

"C'mon," Lance said, falling into step beside her. "I'll walk you to chemistry."

"Cool," Kitty said, blushing faintly. "Hey, did you see what happened to Jean?"

"Yeah," Lance slowly remarked after a moment of silence. Looking away, he added, "Hope she gets better soon.."

Raising an eyebrow at the odd comment, Kitty debated whether or not to ask if he knew anything, but discarded the idea as they entered the main building. It was sweet of Lance to be concerned, especially considering Jean - and by extension, Kitty herself - were with the opposition, but she was certain he didn't know anything more than she did. "So," she asked, "Have you heard anything about the new chemistry teacher?"

* * *

Quietly shutting the door behind him, Scott quickly navigated his way through the maze of props and backdrops from former school plays that littered the backstage area of the auditorium. Despite being poorly lit, he was able to quickly locate the object of his search, sitting quietly at the top of the wooden steps leading up to the where the ceremony had recently concluded.

Jean sat alone, her school bag sitting on the seat below her, staring at the broken trophy she held in her hands; a small shot of anxiety rushed through him, worried that maybe what had happened not too long ago might repeat itself here. Her hair looked slightly unkempt, and being closer now than he had been in the seats, he thought he could see slight bags under her eyes.

"Hey," Scott said, casually approaching the redhead, his bookbag swinging with his steps.

"Hey," Jean replied, greeting him with that light smile that made his stomach twist into a knot; he was used to the feeling, though, and was able to ignore it. Most of the time.

"You're speech had me on the edge of my seat," He commented, returning the smile as he leaned against the wooden railing. "Kinda like your soccer games."

"Yeah?" The redhead replied, brushing a strand of hair out of her face, her hand shaking so slightly he was certain his eye were playing tricks on him. "I, uh, guess I was a little nervous..."

"Nervous?" Scott repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You were terrified. I thought you would have grown used to having so many eyes on you by now."

"It's a little, uh, different when you're in a game," Jean replied, staring again at the trophy in her hands. "Can you believe I actually won? I bet Cassidy was livid, she wanted this more than anyone..."

"Kelly said the vote was unanimous," He said, making quick attempt to try and remember which girl on the team was Cassidy. "So she must have thought you deserved it."

"Yeah, I guess..."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Scott asked, concern showing through his shades.

"It's no big deal," She replied, rising to her feet and taking her bookbag in her free hand. "We better get to class."

"Right," He said slowly, not entirely convinced; he knew she could take care of herself, but couldn't help himself for thinking otherwise. Following her out and through the main hall, the pair found the courtyard deserted, the other students having apparently made their way to their next periods already.

"So are you coming to Duncan's party tonight?"

"Party?" Scott asked. "What party?"

"Oh..." Jean turned to look at him, lips twitching into a nervous frown. "Didn't he invite you?"

"Huh?" He couldn't imagine why Duncan would want to invite him anywhere. "Uh, no, but it's cool. I got a ton of homework and I was thinkin' about calling Alex, you know?"

"Well, I'm sure he just hasn't gotten around to it yet," Jean told him, her eyes going slightly distant as she looked up at the school; he could tell her mind was on anything but the party. He grimaced inwardly - she was probably thinking about Duncan. "I'm inviting you now, the party is for me after all." She flashed him a sunny smile, and his stomach did another flip.

"Thanks," Scott replied, returning the look. "Not sure if I should show up, though..."

"You should come anyway," She said, heading down the path. "Be there for me. You'll have fun."

Scott watched her for several moments, unable to keep from feeling entranced in a way that Nabiki and Emma, despite their considerable appeal, were incapable of evoking. She was hiding it, but something was weighing heavily on her mind, and Scott had a keen suspicion that it was in some way connected with whatever had happened when she had tried to give her speech earlier.

"I think I will go to that party," Scott said softly to himself. "Just to keep an eye on her..."

The loud clang of the late bell startled him out of his thoughts. "Crap," He cursed, hitching his bag over his shoulder and making a mad dash for his next class.

* * *

"No, really," Lance insisted, leaning onto the sterilized steel lab table. "I love chemistry. It was my best class back at our old school."

"Really," Kitty replied, raising an eyebrow from across the table. She and Lance had made it to the classroom with plenty of time to spare, and were now waiting with the rest of the students for the late bell - as well as their new instructor, who had yet to make an appearance. The classroom held long tables like the one they were sitting at, each with an assortment of test tubes, beakers, microscopes and other scientific equipment. At the front of the room, in front of the blackboard, was a smaller table with the same items carefully arranged upon it, and next to it was an empty lab coat hanging from a coat stand.

A slightly mischievous smile came over her face. "Did you ever make a stink bomb?"

"Uh, well, no," He admitted with an easy grin. "But Blob makes 'em all time... if you know what I mean."

The brunette giggled as Lance waved a hand in front of his face, as if warding off a noxious stench.

_CRASH!_

All eyes in the room jerked towards the door as it suddenly burst open, admitting a familiar young woman in a long-sleeved purple crop top and black skirt. Racing to the open seat at Kitty and Lance's table, her rapid-spoken excuse just barely understood by those who heard it.

"SorryaboutbeinglateIhadtoruntomylockeranditwasontheothersideoftheschooland-" Melinda paused, getting a good look around the room and seeing that, while everyone's eyes were on her, none of them belonged to the teacher. "Hey..." She said slowly. "Am I not late?"

The class erupted in laughter, and Melinda flushed a deep red, bending down to hide it under the guise of fixing a run in her striped stockings. "No, you're not," Kitty said in-between giggles. "The late bell hasn't even rung."

"Oh, good," Melinda sighed in relief, reaching into her bag and removing her chemistry textbook, setting it on the table. Laying her forehead against the hard cover - which, for some inexplicable reason, had a picture of a sliced pear on top of a pile of leaves - she whined pitifully. "I hate this class..."

"What?" Lance said, blinking in disbelief. "How can you hate chemistry?"

"I hate all science that involves math..." Melinda muttered against the hard cover of her book.

"No, I mean how can YOU -" He poked her in the shoulder, " -hate chemistry? Isn't your dad the CEO of one of the largest drug manufacturers in the country?"

"Do not touch me." The blonde replied, swatting at the finger still pressed against her shoulder. Raising her head and propping it against her arms, she gave him a baleful gaze. "Daddy just runs the Frost Pharmaceuticals, he has nothing to do with any actual manufacturing or research or anything."

"Couldn't he get, like, actual chemists to tutor you though?" Kitty asked, glancing up at the clock; right on cue, the late bell rang loudly, signaling that the teacher was now late for his own class.

"Frost Family Doctrine, section one, paragraph four, line two," Melinda replied in bored tones, as if reciting from memory. "'A Frost will make their own success, dependent only upon themselves and the methods they can create'. It is family policy - if I got tutors, I would be required to pay for them with my own money. And I cannot afford them, which is why I, a senior, am taking this, a sophomore class, for the third year in a row..."

"You have an actual, written family doctrine?" Lance said after a moment, raising an eyebrow in Kitty's direction; she replied with a similar gesture.

"Yeah. So?"

"Isn't that kinda," Lance paused, searching for the right word, then giving up when he remembered he didn't care about being polite. "Batshit crazy?"

"Yes, but we are rich," Melinda pointed out with a sly smile. "So that makes us 'eccentric'."

"Hey," She whispered suddenly, glancing at the door and and leaning in closer to her two table-mates. "Has Ranma said anything about me lately?"

"Not that I can recall," Kitty answered, a note of irritation creeping into her tone; the girl was easy to get along with, except when she brought up Ranma. Didn't she know when to give up?

"He spent our entire first two classes in the gallery," Melinda sighed, crossing her arms on the table and resting her chin against them. "And then I could not find him at the assembly during third period..."

"He was sitting with Rogue," Lance threw in, grinning at the look she shot him response.

"The time has come, the walrus said," A new voice interrupted, cutting off whatever reply the blonde had been intending. In through the open door strode a tall, muscular man with short brown hair and dark-framed glasses; he was dressed in a Bayville High athletics department uniform, and under each arm he carried several large books. "To speak of many things.

"And primarily among them," He continued, setting the books on the table and grabbing the white lab coat that hung on the stand next to it. "Is an apology. I'm Mr. McCoy, and I'm sorry for being tardy. They have me serving double-duty as one of your Phys Ed coaches as well as chemistry teacher - track tryouts are tomorrow, by the way, for anyone who's interested."

"Lucky us," Lance quipped, sharing a glance with Kitty; next to her Melinda sighed again in resignation.

"So," Mr. McCoy said, slipping the lab coat onto his large frame and placing his hands of the desk, giving the class a wide grin. "That experiment I know you're all just dying to do, what do you say we just get it done and have it over with, huh?"

He paused, giving the class a challenging look. "Who's up for making a stink bomb?"

The class stared at him for several moments before erupting in deafening cheers, many of the formally lackluster pupils now excited at the prospect that this chemistry class was going to be far more entertaining than they had expected. Sharing a wide grin, Lance and Kitty ignored the renewed moans of despair from their blonde table-mate, who's head had now crashed against her book with another groan.

* * *

Looking up at the towering structure that was St. Rita of Cascia Psychiatric Hospital for the second time this month - and forcing him to cancel Tofu's weekly counseling session - Charles Xavier pondered over the reason he had been called in today. Dr. Lieber had told him over the phone that Wanda was demanding to see him, but was unable to give a reason why - the only words the girl would say were 'Get me Xavier,' and had refused to elaborate beyond that.

Sighing, he glanced over at Logan, who was taking his usual vigil leaning against the short limousine. "You didn't bring a magazine?" Xavier commented with a smirk, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Nah, new issue ain't out yet," The man gruffly replied, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a thin red rectangular item. Flipping it open, he removed a small stylus from a hidden compartment in the back.

"I see you have a way of occupying your time regardless," Xavier chuckled, turning around and directing his chair towards the entrance ramp. "I apologize that I cannot give you a time frame in which I will return, Logan..."

"S'aright, Chuck," Logan replied absently, high-pitched electronic music now emitting from the portable gaming device. "Alright, Sneasel, this time ya ain't gonna get away so easily..."

Ignoring Logan's muttered cursing as he made his way inside, Xavier was soon met by a familiar face. "Good morning, Harrison," He said, reaching out to shake the man's hand in greeting.

"Mornin' Professor," The man replied, pressing a finger to his ear for a moment. "She's ready for you now."

Letting the man wheel him through the lobby and into the main hospital, Xavier frowned as he picked up nervous fear permeating the building. "Can you tell me anything?"

"Nothin'," Harrison replied, shaking his head. "I went in to check on her this morning, and she demanded to see you. Hasn't said anythin' else since."

"She hasn't tried anything against the staff?" He questioned. "No attempts to free herself?"

"Nope," The other man replied. "It's makin' us all a little jumpy, too. Usually we get about one escape attempt a day, but she hasn't moved an inch to do anything. We've moved Thaliá, though, just in case."

"I see," Xavier replied, nodding thoughtfully; moving Thaliá was a smart move, just in case something happened to set Wanda off and she became violent. No one wanted her to get hurt.

Harrison slipped his keycard into the door separating the main hospital from Scutum Fidei - an odd name, Xavier had always thought - and punched in a multi-digit code. The doorway slid open, revealing on the other side a tall, wiry man with thinning, brushed back salt-and-pepper hair and a thick mustache carrying a simple wooden clipboard. He had an earpiece on, like the guards, but wore a long white lab coat, thin-lensed glasses and black shoes polished to a mirror shine.

"Doctor Lieber," The telepath greeted the man, giving his hand a firm clasp.

"Professor," The man greeted with a wide smile that didn't quite reach his eyes; Xavier took no offense, however. Doctor Martin Lieber was a good man, despite his less-than-social nature, and was dedicated entirely to his work here in Scutum Fidei. He was a little harsh at times with his patients, but he'd shown remarkable success with several. "Harrison, thank you from bringing him in. Meet us at Maximoff's room, I would like to speak with Professor Xavier for a moment."

Nodding, Harrison passed the handles of the wheelchair into Dr. Lieber's waiting hands and walked through the small crowd of patients in the recreation room.

"She wants to see you, as I mentioned on the telephone," Dr. Lieber said simply as he began slowly pushing the professor in the direction of Section X. "Not a word has been uttered about why, and I must admit that I am curious."

"As Harrison mentioned," Xavier nodded. "I have a few hypotheses, but I think the reason most likely has to do with what you confiscated from her last week."

"The pages," The other man nodded, his lips twitching into a small frown. "Yes, that thought entered my mind as well."

"May I ask why you took them?"

"I have come to believe that the root cause of her anger my be linked to these pages," Dr. Lieber explained. "I sought to have a look at them and find out if any information could be gleaned from whatever might be written on the, but she refused to allow me access, growing further angry at the mere thought of my seeing them. Violently angry.

"I do not believe it is in her best interests to keep them with her anymore," The man continued, pausing for a moment to cough heavily into his hand. "Her reaction to their removal, I think, justifies belief. She can be better treated if they are out of sight and out of mind."

"And have you figured out what they say?" Xavier asked as they turned a corner, soon coming to the entrance of Section X.

"I have not," Dr. Lieber replied, shaking his head. "They are kept in a small, thin locked box that resists every attempt to be opened. We've had expert lock-pickers and safe-crackers throw up their hands in frustration, failing every attempt."

"And you cannot break it open," Xavier concluded, "as it remains Wanda's personal property and doing so would be a violation of her patients rights."

"Exactly," The doctor agreed, flashing his identification to the guards and pushing the professor through the guard station and into the small corridor of specialty cells, where they found Harrison waiting for them. "So until she produces the key for us, they will remain a mystery."

"Unfortunately," He agreed, rubbing his palm against his chin in consideration. Looking up as Lieber left him in front of cell 7, he glanced at the man, who was stepping back; next to him, Harrison said something quietly over his radio. "You are not to be joining us?"

"She wants to meet with you, and you alone." Lieber replied simply.

Nodding, Xavier wheeled his chair into the cell, and the door shut behind him with a soft click.

The room was spartan, occupied by only a small bed with restraints at the side and the hunched form of Wanda Maximoff in the corner, staring back at him with an unreadable gaze. The walls were covered in padding, and hanging from the high ceiling was a simply lamp, a small window at the top of the far wall the only source of illumination. A pair of small cameras recorded everything from their location high above the door.

"Wanda," he greeted cautiously, remaining in place.

"Professor," Her cold voice echoed in response.

"How can I help you today?"

Wanda said nothing, turning her eyes towards the thickly padded carpet covering the floor. Xavier said nothing, knowing that she would respond in her own time. In nearly ten years, she had never requested to see him, so he was certain that this notable a event was a sign that what she had to say would be very important.

Several minutes passed in silence before the girl spoke again, her voice a low growl that carried easily throughout the room. "You want to know about the pages, don't you?" Her words were slow and deliberate; he could tell she was making a concentrated effort to remain calm.

"I would," He nodded, raising and eyebrow despite himself.

"I want back what is mine." Wanda's body was shaking with restrained anger now; to his surprise, the girl took several deep breaths, and slowly began to settle back down.

"You have made this clear, Wanda," Xavier said once she had finished.

"I'm willing to make a deal," She said through tightly clenched teeth, slowly raising her eyes and meeting his. "You get me back my pages, and I will tell you everything you want to know about them." She paused, narrowing her eyes, the next words coming out through teeth ground together so hard Xavier feared they might shatter. "And not a single word before I have them back in my hands where they belong."

Xavier blinked. Twice. He couldn't help himself; this was the first time Wanda had ever offered anything like this in the entire time he had known her. He found himself unable to speak for several minutes, only having the capacity to hide his shock behind a mask of thoughtful consideration.

"Well?" Wanda demanded impatiently.

"I accept," Xavier finally said, coming back to his senses. "With one added condition. I want to see remarkable improvement in your therapy over the next six months. In return, I will do everything in my power to get your pages back for you."

The girl's eyes were locked on his and she gave a curt nod. "Deal."

* * *

The clock hanging above the door released a musical chime as the hour changed to one AM, but Reiko didn't hear it.

Her cell phone emitted a tinny little melody, the time flashing on the small screen, but Reiko didn't hear that either.

Hunched over her desk, the young prodigy's eyes flew across the notes and diagrams whilst simultaneously, her left had scribbled furiously on a nearby legal pad, words and equations incomprehensible to most appearing on the yellow paper at break-neck speed. Further to her left was a hap-hazard pile of nearly a dozen more notepads, each filled entirely with black chicken-scratch observations and mathematics.

If her style of writing could take a physical form, it would resemble Reiko's current appearance; her hair, normally sleek and silky, was wild and hanging over her face in a stringy mess. Ink smudges covered her face and arms, and her clothes looked to have been slept in for several days.

"How did she do it?" Reiko muttered, pen still flying as she asked herself the question that had been at the forefront of her mind for several days. Biting her pen between her teeth as she tried to shake a cramp out of her writing hand, Reiko stared again at the improvements Kasumi Tendo had so casually made to the diagnostic machine. "She has taken a mere two physics courses in her entire life, and has absolutely no background in biology, engineering, optics,electrodynamics, radiography, crystallography, or-or- or ANYTHING! How did she do it!?"

Her dark brown eyes twitched in tandem, finally allowing her to catch a glimpse of the clock hanging over her door, and Reiko started as she realized she had no idea what day it was. She had spent every moment she could spare - and many she couldn't - since meeting the overwhelmingly nice girl trying to see if there were any flaws in the work she had done.

And by now, Reiko was forced to admit that there were not.

Furthermore, Tendo's corrections had opened up several doors previously unknown; already, Reiko had corrected several subsequent problems with other areas of the project. The various systems would now be seventeen-percent more efficient, twenty-six percent more accurate, and the entire device would be at least one-third the original speculated size. Reiko even estimated that the entire machine would cost several hundred thousand dollars less - and that was only considering Kasumi's corrections.

Her pride wouldn't let her admit this so easily, however. But after two days - or was it three? It didn't matter - she was forced to finally consider the idea that she may - MAY - have an equal.

Dropping her pen to the desk, Reiko took a deep breath and turned her tired eyes to her cell phone. There could be no delaying this any longer.

Her hand shook as she took the small device in hand, not from fear, but from an odd combination of frustration, anticipation, and good old fashioned sleep deprivation. Clenching it tightly in her fist, Reiko began mentally reciting the decimals of pi in an effort to calm herself.

It took her three hundred and seventy-seven digits before she was ready.

Cracking her neck to relieve the built-up tension, Reiko flipped open the phone and held it to her ear. "Dial Jonah." She winced at the harsh rasp her voice had become, clearing her throat several times as she listened to the ringing.

"Talk to me, Reiko," A bored-sounding voice answered in English, irritatingly loud crunching noises accompanying the words. "Give me something good."

"Jonah," She replied in the same language, no trace of an accent in her speech. "Get on the next plane to Tokyo."

* * *

The final bell had barely finished ringing before a stampede of students poured out of the numerous classrooms throughout the school, falling into an instinctual form of controlled chaos as they moved through the hallways. Plans to hang out or do homework could be heard on the lips of nearly every student, the majority of which referred to the big party at Duncan Matthews house that night, even though most of them weren't invited. Everyone knew Duncan threw the best parties - his parents were rich and basically let him do whatever he wanted, regardless of whether or not it was a school night. Wasn't as if they were ever there, after all.

Leaving the boy's locker room, Ranma quickly slipped through the crowds that flooded the hall, his World History and Anatomy books - having not had the time to drop them off in his locker before Gym - balanced on his head. Pushing against the flow of hallway traffic, he eventually managed to reach his locker, quickly spinning the combination and dumping his various school supplies inside. He had homework tonight, but as Risty was insistent upon Rogue and him accompanying her to Duncan's party - crashing, really - he felt no real need to bring the books home.

Hefting his pack over his shoulder, Ranma left his locker behind and made his way for the nearest set of stairs, all the while keeping an eye out for any redheads. He'd managed thus far to avoid Jean finding him alone today, and if he could just make it to Scott's car without running into her, he-

Ranma let out a startled 'gurk' as a slender feminine arm suddenly shot out of a girl's bathroom the moment he passed by, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him inside.

His back was immediately against the door, two hands now grabbing him by the collar; both belonged to a very familiar green-eyed redhead.

"Ranma," Jean whispered as though it were painful to speak. "You saw what happened this morning! You have to give me another one!"

"Red," He whispered back, his eyes darting around in panic. "This is the girl's bathroom!"

"Then you had better hurry and give me what I want before someone catches you!"

"I don't like bein' blackmailed, Red," Ranma said, his voice changing pitch as he shifted into his female form. There didn't seem to be any girls in the room aside from Jean right now, and her presence against the door would keep anyone else from getting in, but why take chances? Better to look like she belonged in here. "This ain't like ya, Jean. The Prof-"

"Look" The redhead interrupted through clenched teeth. "I told you I'd talk to him tonight, after Duncan's party, and I will. Just give me the damn null! I'll pay for it if you want!"

"What?"

"Fifty bucks for a null!" Jean offered.

"Okay," Ranma said, rolling her eyes an slipping away from the the other girl. "I'm outta here."

"Sixty!"

* * *

Green eyes narrowed beneath a fringe of white hair as Rogue stepped closer to the second-floor girl's bathroom. She could hear voices in there, two very familiar voices - one of which had no place in the girl's lavatory, despite the feminine pitch it now carried.

Hearing movement from the inside, Rogue dashed away and hid around a nearby corner, holding her breath for fear she might be heard. After a few seconds, the door opened and the boy-turned-girl she had thought she'd heard ran out, her form growing and shifting back into the dark-haired male she knew and lov-liked a lot.

"I toldja, Red," She heard Ranma say; the tone of his voice matched the irritation in his face. "It ain't gonna happen, not now, not ever."

"But I need it," The redhead pleaded, the longing in her voice making Rogue's eyes narrow to thin slits. "You just can't turn me down, I'm desperate! You have to-"

"I'm not gonna say it again, Red," Ranma interrupted, not looking back as he stormed off down the halls. Rogue pushed herself against the wall to keep him from seeing her as he passed by. Looking back around the corner, she watched as Jean stared after him, eyes filled with a desperate need that made her blood boil.

Seeing Jean about to chase after the pigtailed boy, Rogue stepped out from behind the corner and directly into her path, her eyes burning with anger.

"Rogue! I-"

"Ah don't care," Rogue growled, stepping forward and getting directly into the other girl's face, somehow looking down at her despite the difference in height. "Ranma said he ain't interested."

"Y-you're mistaken," Jean stepped back, her left eye twitching nervously. "I don-"

"Ah said Ah don't care!" Rogue repeated, taking another step forward and poking Jean roughly in the sternum. If looks could kill, Jean would have been reduced to her component atoms. "He said no, an' your gonna respect that! And if you try anythin' like this again, Ah'm gonna pound ya until we see if your blood is as red as your hair, got it?"

"I-"

"Go back to yer pretty-boy football star boyfriend," Rogue shot back, spinning on her heels and following after the pigtailed boy, the heavy soles of her boots like cannonshots against the hallway floor. "An' stay the hell away from mine."

* * *

"This is all your fault," Akane muttered angrily, shooting an angry glare out of the corner of her eye at the boy standing next to her.

"My fault?" Shiro growled back, meeting her gaze with an equally fiery one of his own. "YOU are the one who insists on fighting ME every morning, not the other way around."

"I wouldn't have to fight you if you didn't keep butting into my fights!" Akane shouted, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the buckets in each hand; she was itching to empty them on the stupid boy's stupid head.

"I didn't see your name on any of those losers!" The boy replied, rotating his shoulders to keep them from stiffening. "They did attack me too, y'know!"

"Akane!" A small voice interrupted the arguing teenagers and brought their attention to the door they stood outside of. Hinako stood there, the angry look on her face making her seem more like a child than usual; in one small hand was a long pointer stick, in the other a lollipop bigger than her head. "Shiro! You are in punishment for being naughty and late! No talking!"

"Yes Miss Hinako," They replied in a synchronized monotone, anger being temporarily pushed aside as they lowered their eyes - not so much out of respectful deference as a firm desire to keep their personal energy away from the little ki-vampire. "Sorry Miss Hinako..."

"If I have to come out here one more time," Hinako continued, stomping a foot in anger, "You are both gonna be in really really big trouble, got it?"

"Yes Miss Hinako..."

"Good." The child smiled happily and turned around, skipping back into the class room. "Hiroshi!" They heard her shout as the door closed. "Did you bring enough gum for everyone?"

Both pairs of eyes watched as the door slowly clicked shut, then turned back on each other with renewed fury. "I can beat them all by myself!" Akane snarled, "I don't need your help! You just get in the way!"

"I don't do it to help you, girlie!" Shiro sniffed. "Although you could use all the help you can get, it's purely for my own amusement."

"Well your 'amusement' has made me late four days in a row now," She replied, eyes flashing dangerously. "So go find your jollies elsewhere!"

"Where?" Shiro asked, looking around the hallway over-dramatically. "I thought Nerima was supposed to be full of crazy fights and martial artists, but all I find is a little girl and a gang of morons who don't know their fists from their faces! Dammit, I came here for the fights, and I'm gonna get 'em whatever way I can!"

"Well stop getting them from me."

"Make me."

"I've kicked your butt every day since I met you," Akane smirked superiorly, daring him to dispute her. The boy was good, but she was just a little bit better, and she enjoyed that fact. "So I think I've 'made you'."

"Feh," Shiro snorted, looking away. "I've been going easy on ya, girlie. I know ya ain't got what it takes to fight me for real."

"You wanna go right now?" She challenged, readying her buckets to use as weapons if need be - although if he refused, she was gonna smash them over his head anyway.

"Seriously," Shiro continued, seemingly oblivious to the challenge. "Is this the best Nerima has to offer? Where's the poetry-spouting kendo guy, or the bouncy Chinese girl?"

Akane's rage was building quickly with every word; so this guy wanted to dismiss her abilities, just like everyone else?

"Where's the umbrella dork, the chef - hell, I'd take the guy who hits people with toilets even! I swear, this district don't live up to any of the hype." Shiro closed his eyes, sighing in frustration. "Where is Ranma Saotome? I came here to fight all the crazies, but that guy most of all. But all I get is some cute little girl. I came here for a challenge, not a freakin' tea party..."

"THEN GO CHALLENGE A DOJO!" Akane screamed, swinging one of the steel buckets into his head, fed up with the barrage of insults towards her and her skill.

"I told you two no more TALKING! HAPPO-GO-JU-EN-SATSU!"

Several minutes passed in silence as Akane and Shiro lay on the wet floor, groaning pitifully as they struggled to find any energy left in them to keep fighting. Akane's jaw opened finally, and she managed to roll over to face the boy lying a few feet away. "This... is all... your fault..."

"Bite... me... girlie..."

* * *

Giving himself one final look-over in the bathroom mirror, Scott ran his fingers through his short brown hair and nodded. Dressed in a long-sleeved dark blue shirt, tan khakis, nice but comfortable shoes and his best pair of ruby-red quartz sunglasses, he grinned in satisfaction.

"Yeah," He said, staring at his reflection with a cocky grin. "You look good, Summers."

Shoving his keys in his pocket, Scott dashed out of the bathroom and down the hall in a slow jog, just barely dodging Kitty as she walked through the wall and directly into his path. "Hey," He reprimanded her with little effect. "Watch where you're phasing."

"Yeah, right," Kitty said absentmindedly, lifting the pink shirt in her hand and sniffing it delicately as he went on his way. "Hey, Scott," he heard her call after him. "You know any kinda of remedy for stinkbomb aroma?"

Spinning to look at her again, Scoot gagged as he finally caught a whiff of the noxious aroma slowly filling the hall. "Oh, yeah," He grimaced, holding his nose shut with two fingers and running away even faster than before. "Isolation."

Leaving the girl behind as she continued sniffing her shirt, Scott dashed around the corner, checking his watch as he ran; the party had already started, but it was still cool to be fashionably late, right?

In his minor distraction, he didn't see Kurt hanging from the ceiling with a feather duster. "Gah!"

"Hey!" Kurt exclaimed, pulling himself upwards to escape the cloud of dust that had erupted from the impact. He seemed unaware that his team leader was still in the dust cloud, coughing violently. "Great, now I haff to dust this entire hallvay again..."

Scott ignored the blue-furred boy's complaints, furiously trying to brush the dust off his shirt as he sped down the hall. Coughing the last of the dust out of his lungs, he hoped he still had that lint roller in his car; this was his favourite shirt.

Reaching the main stairway leading into the foyer, Scott headed downward just in time to be knocked to his posterior as Sam raced up the stairs being chased by a red wolf. "Ow!" He exclaimed, the impact pushing him forward and causing him to painfully bounce down the remaining steps. "Ow-ow-ow-Rahne-no-running-in-here-or-" He winced, landing at the bottom of the stairs as a loud crash sounded in the distance. "-your going to break something..."

Pushing himself back to his feet and rubbing his sore rear end, Scott wondered if this might be some kind of sign that he should stay home for the night. A large crowd of Jamies running through the foyer carrying pilfered snacks quickly convinced him otherwise.

Leaving the chaotic house in the capable hands of those not smart enough to get leave, Scott slammed the door behind him and sped down the front steps, crying out as his first step slid out from under him. "Drake!" He shouted at Bobby as he struggled to maintain his footing; the younger mutant was apparently showing off for Jubilee, a tiny ice sculpture of the girl spinning gracefully in his palm. "Dammit, try cleaning up your ice!"

Falling on his backside again, Scott growled in frustration and hauled himself to his feet, glaring at the two as he saw them leaning against his car. "And stay off my ride, got it?"

Not waiting for a response as they nervously backed away from the vehicle, he hopped into the drivers seat and started the engine. Driving through the gates, he decided the party had to be less hectic and hazardous than his own home.

* * *

Stepping onto the grounds of the Greater Nerima Technical College, new students walked with apprehension towards the large building that composed the main school, in stark contrast to those returning students who approached with a more energetic gait. It was the first day of the fall semester, any many of the small college's attendees had been away for several months, recuperating from the end of the spring session earlier in the year.

Then there were the students who had just finished the summer semester; having only a week off in between, many were still in the academic mindset. To them, this was another day in class, albeit with some different teachers and people to cheat off of during exams. These three groups, interspersed with each other and unaware that they fit into such classifications, were chatting amongst themselves, reading newly-acquired textbooks, or engaging in other sundry activities to alleviate the boredom as they waited for the day to start.

A fourth group, newly arriving, consisted of one girl. For Kasumi Tendo, there was no such thing as just another day. Lessons learned early in life had taught her that every day was a new experience, that every day was to be met with a bright smile and a spring in one's step. This rang especially true with Kasumi when it came to learning.

Shifting the load of books in her arms, Kasumi smiled brightly as she took in the atmosphere of the small technical school. In the back of her mind, however, she was unable to stop comparing it to the enormity and pure academic majesty of Tokyo University. The library here barely deserved the name compared to the massive structure that housed the wealth of knowledge for the University, and while Kasumi did not enjoy giving into such feelings, she was suffused with envy for every student that was able to attend such palaces of higher learning.

The images of the blueprints she had stumbled across in Reiko Watanabe's office came to the forefront of her thoughts, every detail of the Sweringen Medical Diagnostic Array etched into her mind, and a worried frown came across her features. Reiko-san had been a wonderfully sweet woman, after things had been explained, but Kasumi could not help but wonder if she had done something wrong. The device had had flaws, and all she had done was make a few small corrections.

Well, several large corrections. But they would have caught them anyway, right? The math was simple enough to understand, and while she had only read a few books on medical technology and engineering, the suggestions she had given would make it work so much better. The eldest Tendo daughter couldn't see how she had done anything wrong, but the doubts still lingered; she hated upsetting anyone.

"Maybe I should give her a call," She thought aloud, bringing idle glances from a group sitting on the grass nearby. "I would hate to have damaged our friendship-"

_BREEEP-BEEP! BREEEP-BEEP! BREEEP-BEEP!_

The high-pitched alarm from a nearby watch broke her away from her thoughts, bringing her attention to her own timepiece. It was almost 9:30 - her first class would be starting soon. Kasumi's smile came back with greater brilliance - momentarily stunning a poor young man who happened to be looking in her direction, and thus had the misfortune of colliding with a bicycle rack - and she quickly joined those heading inside.

Striding through the halls, it suddenly occurred to the young woman that her own wristwatch had not gone off - a very odd thing, as she distinctly remembered setting the alarm for 9:25 am. Looking again at her wrist, she examined the sleek analog-digital combination timepiece - a gift her sister, of all people, had given her when she'd come home for the summer- a small frown coming over her face; she had the strangest feeling that something was wrong with it...

Sidestepping past an arguing couple, Kasumi's attention remained focused on her wrist as she entered the lecture hall, taking a seat in the third row. Intent as she was on her watch, she barely noticed when the instructor entered the room, only hearing him briefly introduce himself as Raizo Urai, and that he was new to the school before diving straight into the day's lecture. It was taken directly from the textbook, which Kasumi had already finished reading, and she found it difficult to keep her attention on the man. She knew she could fix the watch's programming...

"Ms. Tendo?"

"Yes sensei?" She replied pleasantly, her gaze not moving from the small, makeshift tools she had applied to the open backside of her Lady Rolex.

"Are you perhaps finding something more interesting than my lecture?"

"No, sensei," Kasumi answered, looking up and giving him a brief but bright smile before returning to her own work.

"I only ask because you seem a little preoccupied," Urai said wryly; by now the entire class was staring at the eldest Tendo daughter, some in disgruntlement and others in relief, happy that they now had time to catch up with their notes. "Would you answer the problem on the board then for us, please?"

Kasumi held back a frown, not liking the slightly nasty tone in the man's voice. "10.5 X 10(3) kg/m(3)." She said cheerfully; just because he was being rude didn't mean she had to respond in kind. "With a resistivity of 1.60 X 10(-8) Ohm m."

The man blinked. Twice. "Well," He said after a moment, visibly holding back his disappointment. "You then, are the perfect person to present this follow-up question to." Discretely, the teacher flipped to the very back of his notes, moving off the material they were covering today and into material intended for the end of the semester. This Tendo girl was a smart one, but he doubted that she could handle the advanced questions.

"As stated," Urai cleared his throat with a quick cough. "Silver has a density of 10.5 X 10(3) kg/m(3) and a resistivity of 1.60 X 10(-8) Ohmm at room temperature." He paused, glancing down at his notes. "On the basis of the classical free electron gas model and assuming that each silver atom contributes one electron to the electron gas, calculate the average time between collisions of the electrons."

"Oh my... that would be 3.80 X 10(-14)s," She said as easily as if she had been asked her own name. "Or thirty-eight femtoseconds."

Urai blinked again. A full minute passed before he found himself capable of speaking. "That," He mumbled, coughing again. "That's correct. T-Thank you Ms. Tendo. As I was saying, the ratio of..."

Blinking, Kasumi shrugged mentally; it hadn't been that hard of a question, but she did wonder why he had asked something that wasn't even in the class textbook. Putting the matter aside, she turned her attention back to her watch, smiling happily as she screwed the thin metal plate back on. It was working again.

* * *

"Hut one, hut two!" Duncan shouted with a wide grin, eyes darting from side to side; several other guests backed away to avoid potential impact if he moved suddenly. "Hike!"

Catching the soccer ball lobbed to him from one his teammates, Duncan took a few steps forward and hurled the ball through the air with a practiced ease. Jean rolled her eyes as she watched the ball sail in a clear arc over her head and out through the large open window she and Taryn were standing in front of.

"Yeah!" Duncan pumped his fists in the air triumphantly. "GOAL!"

Duncan's house was an obvious statement of his families affluence; designed by his successful modernist architect father, the home was a beautiful edifice of perfect angles, curves and high windows located in the high-class section of the city. Situated atop a small, man-made bluff, a large staircase ran down around the artificial cliff to a large pool below. The architect's personal touch was evident in the placement of the landing situated over the pool, jutting out from the house section at a harsh yet fitting right angle. A long, private road led to the estate, surrounded by perfectly arranged, hand-picked flora.

The inside was just as impressive; well-lit by the large windows and well-disguised light fixtures, the living room itself conveyed the image of being as large as the entire house. The light gray carpeting and walls, highlighted with whites and pale yellow - the latter becoming more dominant in the area leading into the kitchen - added to this effect, the room seeming to expand outward. The high ceilings allowed for a small loft on one side of the room, where several guests were mingling with drinks in hand, and in the center of the room was a large table-tennis set, currently being used by a pair of football players who really had no business attempting the game.

Outside the house, the ball continued on it course, finally coming to land atop the head of the newly arrived Scott Summers as he stepped out of his convertible.

"Ah!" Scott grunted, spinning on his feet and grabbing his visor, ready to unleash a beam of focused concussive force against his attacker. Hearing a thump inside his car, Scott groaned and rolled his eyes behind his glasses upon seeing his opponent was an errant soccer ball. Scooping it out of the driver's seat, he looked at the house, noticing the open window; calculating a quick trajectory in his head and hoping his math was right, Scott pulled the ball back in one arm, took a few steps forward, and hurled it with all his strength back through the window.

Inside, Jean was shaking her head in consternation. "It's called soccer, Mr. Gridiron," She teased, slowly approaching her boyfriend. "Not football."

"Ha," Risty and Ranma commented in tandem, "Not where I'm from." Sharing a glance, they grinned and high-fived as Rogue laughed.

To everyone's surprise, the ball suddenly re-entered the house through the same window it had left, on a direct course with the pigtailed boy's head. Everyone watched in silence as it approached, waiting for the impact.

Which never came, as Ranma's hand moved at the last second, catching the ball and immediately sending it back through the window in one fluid motion; he hadn't even turned his head away from the plate of snacks in his other hand, nor did he even seem to realize he'd done it. Several seconds later they head a faint thud, followed by a loud cry of frustration.

"Woah," Risty breathed, giving Ranma a look of considerable respect as the party resumed itself. "Nice reflexes!"

"Eh? Who's got nice reflexes?" Ranma asked, his attention still focused on the food.

Rubbing his head again, Scott picked up the soccer ball and stared at it, then looked over again at the house. "Well," He muttered, turning to head into the front door despite the urging of his rational mind. "This night can only go uphill from here..."

Leaning against Ranma, Rogue took a swig from her water bottle while keeping an eye on the redhead several feet away. The goth girl was wearing a short black dress, long bicep-length gloves, and a pair of her more stylish leather boots. Ranma himself was dressed in his nicest set of Chinese clothes, matching Rogue in colour scheme, but with a stylized gold and red dragon design running up the left side of his torso.

"What's wrong with you, moody girl?" Risty asked seeing the expression on Rogue's face. The Brit was wearing a slinky, dark-red dress over a light-red long-sleeved collared shirt with black-and-red striped leggings. Like Rogue, she also wore gloves, although much shorter; unlike Rogue, she wore her normal pair of ratty combat boots instead of a much nicer set.

"Nothin'," Rogue lied, her eyes still locked on Jean. "Where Ah'm from," She continued, making up a reason for her mood, "people like me never hang out with people like them. We're outta place here. Also," she added as an afterthought, making a face as she took in the trite vocals and weak melodies, "The music blows."

"Girl," Risty shook her head, still grinning widely. "We are never out of place - and when we are, we make our own. Besides, I'm sure Ranma agrees the two of us have significantly upped the gorgeous quotient for the entire room."

"Yep," Ranma nodded, not paying attention to what he was agreeing to. Damn these were good hors d'oeuvres!

Rogue blushed faintly at the compliment, leaning closer against the boy; her gaze softening as she glanced up at him, then narrowed again as it shifted back to Jean. If she tried anything tonight, she was going to damn well make good on her threat.

Briefly glancing towards the door as it swung open, Rogue and Risty giggled as Scott walked in, tossing the soccer ball from one hand to the other. "So that's what that noise was," The British girl commented, poking Ranma in the shoulder.

Looking around the room, Scott spotted Jean against a half-wall that separated one section of the living room from the other. Weaving his way through the throng of party guests - all seniors with the odd junior thrown in, he idly noted - he saw Duncan leaning against the divider next to her, chatting with the redhead. "Yo, Dunc!" He shouted.

Duncan looked up just in time to catch the ball before it impacted with his stomach.

"Found your ball," Scott said with a grin. Duncan matched the look, seeing it for the challenge it was rather than a friendly greeting it appeared to be.

"Thanks," Duncan replied, tossing the ball over his shoulder, where it bounced out onto the terrace that overlooked the pool. "Glad you could make it, Summers."

"If I'd known there was a soccer game going on," Scott continued, not noticing the exasperated look on Jean's face nor the small crowd that had formed around them. "I would have gotten here sooner."

"Heh," Duncan chuckled. "Well, soccer is a bit too rough to play here, even with all the space." Striding over to the table tennis set, he picked up a paddle and pointed it towards the other boy. "If you wanna have some fun, though, a game of Ping-Pong is easily doable."

"Table tennis," Risty muttered, watching the exchange with a thoroughly bored look. Next to her Ranma set down the tray, having licked it clean. Following the gazes of his two friends, he blinked and said, "Hey, when did Scott get here?"

"This isn't necessary, guys," Jean said, trying to defuse what she could see was a developing situation. The throbbing in her head was slowly returning, but she pushed the pain aside; the party had been going well, and it wouldn't do to have another attack with so many people around. This wouldn't be happening if she had a null in her system right now... "Why don't we just-"

"Sounds like fun," Scott replied, taking a place at the other side of the table. Picking up his paddle, he casually spun it on his palm and shot the other boy a taunting look. "Volley for serve?"

"Okay, fine," Jean said, crossing her arms in frustration. Her skull felt like a conga drum. "Let's all be idiots."

Duncan grinned an unpleasant grin as Scott tossed the small white ball in his hands. "You're on," He said.

The sunglasses-clad boy returned the grin, bouncing the ball of the table and smacking it hard with the paddle, sending it flying and bouncing it off the far corner on the other side. Duncan was there already, and returned the ball with equal force.

"You know," Risty said as she watched the ball fly back and forth on the table, loud 'SMACKS' sounding with every strike. "This looks rather familiar..."

"Eh," Ranma shrugged, watching with barely concealed disinterest. "I've seen better."

"They only just started," Rogue pointed out, taking her eyes away from Jean momentarily to watch the developing grudge match. A loud cry went up as Duncan miscalculated his swing and sent the ball into the net.

"Nice volley," the blonde boy offered, tossing the ball to the other side, where Scott snatched it out of mid-air. "You serve first."

Dropping the ball onto the table, Scott again hit it on the first bounce, adding a slight amount of backspin to the hit and sending the ball to the other side. It was returned in short order, and forcing him to jump backwards and swing hard to catch it as it bounced off the very edge of the table.

Grunting, Duncan swiped hard, spiking the ball on the other side, but Scott was prepared, pounding it back with increasing force.

"Seriously," Risty said, frowning as she watched the fury erupt between both players, who by now were standing several feet back from the table as they continued to volley. "I swear I've seen a match like this before."

On the other side of the room, Jean's frown deepened; what was it about boys that made them act like idiots so often? "You can practically smell the testosterone," She muttered as another wave a pain flashed through her mind.

"Yeah," Taryn agreed, standing at Jean's right, her eyes fixed on the match - or more accurately, Jean realized as she followed Taryn's gaze, on only one side of the table. "But look, you can totally see the muscles under Scott's shirt when he swings!"

Jean raised an eyebrow, then flushed as she accidentally picked up some very indecent thoughts from her friend's mind. Forcing herself to stop, she realized Taryn was still talking and pretended she'd been paying attention.

"...and I swear, that ass is tasty enough to take a big bite out of," Taryn grinned, looking up at her friend. "You're so lucky to live with him, I bet you get to see it every day."

The redhead blinked at the indirect question and tried to stutter out an answer while simultaneously forcing the slow trickle of thoughts intruding in upon her own. A loud cheer cut off her off, thankfully, as Duncan sent the ball hard to the other side of the room. Scott dove and managed to just barely hit it back, leaping to his feet immediately as it was sent right back at him.

"I got it!" Risty exclaimed, jumping to her feet and attracting the attention of everyone on her side of the room. Turning to Ranma, she pointed a finger directly at him, her grin wide and triumphant. "Last year, ESPN6! That's where I know you from, and that's what this reminds me of!"

"Uh," Ranma glanced around nervously, tugging at the collar of his black silk shirt. "I don't, uh, know what-"

"I think you do!" Risty interrupted, poking him in the chest. "Mr. World Martial Arts Table Tennis Champion!"

Rogue raised an eyebrow, and Ranma winced as every person within earshot turned to look at him. "Risty, yer mistakin, I ain't never pl-"

"You defeated former champion Huang with a vicious backhanded split paddle-shot to the skull in a very shocking upset," Risty continued. "Then proceeded to wallop the living daylights out of the rest of his team with their own paddles in massive free-for-all!"

"Yeah, okay, fine," Ranma admitted, then muttered. "I didn't know they were filmin' that fight..."

"Wait..." Rogue said, giving them a look of disbelief as Risty laughed victoriously. "Ya mean alla those Martial Arts sports ya talked about are real?"

"RANMA SAOTOME!" Risty suddenly declared, thrusting out her finger towards him again defiantly. "I challenge you!"

"What?" Ranma raised an eyebrow, jumping to his feet. "You wanna have a match?"

"You bet your ass I do!" She taunted, "Unless your too much of a nancy-boy to fight a woman!"

"Fine!" Ranma shot back, narrowing his eyes as he accepted the challenge. "I ain't got no problem takin' on a girl! We can have it on right here, as soon as Scott and that other guy are done!"

"Not table-tennis!" Risty shook her head, giving the game a baleful look. "We're going to fight like real combatants! Straight-up martial arts, right now! Hey Duncan!" She called over her shoulder as murmurs erupted in the crowd. "Me and Ranma wish to fight. Do you have place we can use?"

"Huh, fight?" Duncan grunted, slamming his paddle against the ball with a powerful backhand. "Yeah, sure, basketball court, by the pool."

"Wait, what?" Rogue exclaimed, looking back and forth between them. "Ah didn't know yah could fight, Ris."

"I've seen how she moves," Ranma said confidently, cutting off Risty's assurances of her own skill. "She can fight."

"Still, are ya sure it's a good idea to..." She trailed off as both suddenly sprinted in the direction of the pool, a small crowd of party guests following after them. With an annoyed sigh, Rogue looked back at the match and debated with herself for a moment before heading out to the pool as well.

"Oh yeah," Jean said, rolling her eyes. "This night is going to end well." Dammit, now how was she going to get him away from Rogue?

"Hey, did someone say something about a fight?" Duncan asked suddenly, cursing as he missed the ball. On the other side of the table, Scott spun his paddle in his hand, grinning wickedly.

"That's three-two, your serve!"

Jean groaned, her hopes for a sudden end to the match thrown away as the sounds competition recommenced. Duncan quickly scored another point, forcing a tie and eliciting a chorus of cheers from those who had stayed to watch. If this wasn't over soon, she was going to take those paddles and beat them both senseless.

And if she didn't get a null soon, maybe Ranma too.

* * *

"You gonna fight in that?" Ranma asked as he gave his neck a crack and gestured to her outfit. The pigtailed boy and his challenger were standing on opposite ends of the basketball court

"Not on your life," Risty replied, grabbing her dress and pulling it off in a swirl of red fabric that covered her completely; the crowd, standing on the edge of the small court, gasped as she revealed herself, dressed in a tight black half-shirt and form-fitting black jeans. Her hands were covered with a different pair of gloves, completely black with small metal plates fixed to the wrists and the knuckles. Her boots remained the same.

"Nice," Ranma complimented with a half-smirk

Risty grinned. "Wilde School of Freestyle Combat Portable Wardrobe technique. You sure you don't want to change out of that fancy shirt?"

The boy said nothing in response, only pulling said garment off, revealing nothing underneath. Folding it carefully, he tossed it to Rogue, who somehow managed to catch it despite her gaze being fixed on the firm muscles he was now displaying. "Kasumi made it for me," he said by way of explanation. "Wouldn't wanna get it all torn up and ruin her hard work. Rules?"

"Standard," Risty replied, sticking her hands in her pockets and bouncing on the balls of her feet casually. "No killing blows, no special techniques, first strike wins."

"Heh," Ranma grinned, sticking his hands in his own pockets and leaning back. "No victory by knock-out? This'll be quick..."

"That's the idea," She replied with a wink. "I don't want to humiliate you too much, after all."

Silence took control as both fighters stared each other down, each one daring the other to make the first move. Risty could feel the tension rising among the crowd as they waited, and she knew they were beginning to wonder if either one of them were actually going to go through with it. Already, many of the boys and some of the girls were giving Ranma slightly disgusted looks, apparently offended at the idea that he would consider hitting a poor, helpless girl. She snorted mentally and rolled her eyes; as if she was some weak and defenseless little birdie.

Bored with the stalemate, Risty moved forward suddenly with a flying kick to test his defenses, a blur to the eyes of the spectators. Ranma dodged easily, as expected, and grabbed at her leg.

"Not going to win that easily," She taunted, flipping over the attempted hold. Ducking under a spin kick aimed at her head, she closed in with him and struck with a flurry of punches, each one deflected and dodged. Jumping back as he switched to offense, she bent backwards under a kick, then leaped over an attempted leg sweep. Coming down with a sharp ax kick, her foot struck hard against the concrete as he rolled out of the way at the last second.

Leaping back to his feet, Ranma retaliated with a calf kick, which she was able to dodge with ease; this proved to be a feint, however, and Risty found herself suddenly on the defensive. Ducking under a rapid succession of spin kicks, Risty dropped to the ground and attempted to break through with a sharp vertical kick, pushing herself upwards with her arms. The attack broke through, not hitting the boy but breaking his rhythm.

Getting back on the offensive, Risty flipped to her feet and launched herself at him in a flying elbow charge; her opponent sidestepped the attack, as she had expected. Responding quickly, she twisted into a spin kick, only to find the boy wasn't anywhere near where she thought he would be. Bending sideways at the last moment, Risty just barely managed to slip under a reverse-roundhouse from her other side. Rolling out of his reach, she sprang back to her feet in a ready position, holding it briefly before surging forward with a pair of haymakers, quickly met by blocks and retaliatory strikes.

Ranma lashed out with a barrage of kicks that Risty weaved quickly through, feeling the air pressure of each missed blow. Dropping to the ground, she attempted a leg swipe which was easily jumped over, followed by a flashing upwards knee strike that nearly clipped his shins.

Flipping backwards, Ranma landed several feet away, and Risty grinned when she saw the look he gave her. "Very nice," He admitted as they began circling each other. "Almost nicked me with that one"

"You're not so bad yourself," She smirked; she'd been looking forward to a fight with him since they first met. Next time she'd have to challenge him without an audience, so they could really go all out.

"Your holding back, though."

"Not nearly as much as you."

"You'd be surprised," Ranma smirked.

Both suddenly sprang forward, delivering barrages of punches and kicks, not a single one connecting but neither offering any ground. Risty knew she was going to lose - winning would go against the plan - but she was going to make the boy work for it.

* * *

"I miss my car," Melinda said as she stepped out of the passenger side door. Slamming it shut, she gave a disdainful look to the white Ferrari she had arrived in; it was a nice car, but it lacked the charm of her beloved Mini-Coop. "Some rat bastard shit-stalker is probably having the time of his life in it..."

"Language, Melinda," Emma chided, running her gloved fingertips lovingly over the hood. "It's ludicrous to think that some two-bit thief is taking your little British car for a joyride." She paused, then added. "It's more likely been stripped apart and sold off piece by piece."

"Do not say that!" Melinda insisted, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. "I do not want to think of my car being torn up and sold for parts. My poor little girl, in the hands of some whorehopping-"

"Apologies," Her cousin replied, shutting her door; pointing the remote at the vehicle, she locked it and engaged the alarm system. "Well, here we are," she said, looking up with a raised eyebrow at the strange house. "Who designed that... thing?"

"Duncan's father," Melinda replied. "The guy is an architect or something. We should get inside, we are just late enough to be fashionable. Hope Ranma is still here..." Her bright green eyes took on a dreamy quality and glazed over slightly.

"Melinda?" She was quickly brought back to earth by her cousin, who grabbed her by the shoulder. Emma spun her around to face her and began staring intently at Melinda's expression. "Something is different..."

"What?" Melinda asked, blinking. "Is my mascara running?"

"No, nothing physical..." Emma replied thoughtfully, tapping a fingertip against her chin. "Something has happened... something between you and that boy..." A sly smile crossed her face, and she put her hands on her hips in mock-irritation. "Melindreda Ullricka Francesca Frost, are you hiding something from me?"

"N-no," Melinda quickly replied, flushing a bright red as she turned and started speed-walking towards the front door; unconsciously, her hand slipped up to her braid and started stroking it lightly. "Nothing at all, Em!"

"Something has happened!" Emma exclaimed, jogging after her. "When he walked you home, what happened? Did he make a move? Did you make a move? Was there movement?"

"Nothing happened," She repeated, stepping through the front door. Whatever response her cousin had died on her lips as they took in the spectacle that was occurring inside. In the middle of the room, Scott Summers and Duncan Matthews were waging all-out war, using a game of table tennis as proxy. The volleying was intense, both boys standing more than three feet away from the table as they fired shots back and forth, neither one apparently willing to give the other any ground.

"Does this happen often at these parties?" Emma asked, tearing her gaze away to look at her cousin. Mutely, Melinda shook her head, her eyes struggling to keep up with the speed of the ball as it flew forth and back.

Slowly, the pair approached the table, making their way through the crowd and ending up at the side of a very irate redhead. "How long has this been going on?" Melinda whispered. "What's the score?"

"Too long," Jean replied, "And I have no idea anymore."

"About fifteen minutes," The brunette - Taryn, Melinda realized a half-second later - standing with her replied. "And the score is eleven-eleven. It's pretty intense."

"It's humiliating is what it is," Jean muttered, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. "Have you ever seen such a display of macho-posturing?"

"Yeah," Emma said, her eyes roaming over Scott's form as he delivered a vicious backhanded strike, breathing sharply and biting her lip as one hand came up to twirl a finger through her hair. "It's really turning me on."

The other three girls tore their eyes away from the match and gave Emma a strange look. Taking a step away, Melinda shrugged and looked over at Jean. "Whatever. Have you seen Ranma?"

"He's outside, fighting with Risty." Jean said, a pained note entering her tone. "Don't ask me why, I honestly don't know."

"Okay..." Melinda said slowly, giving the girl a curious look. Shaking it off, she contemplated telling her cousin she was heading outside, but came to the conclusion that Emma was too far gone to hear anything.

Walking down the steps that led to the pool, sauna, and basketball court, the blonde girl was greeted by the sounds of distant cheering. Increasing her speed, she soon arrived at the small basketball court, and received her second surprise of the night.

Darting around the court was Ranma and a dark-haired girl she didn't know exchanging punches and kicks at speeds her eye couldn't even begin to follow. They seemed to be coming from all angles, dodging one strike while launching one in return that was avoided as well; if the match inside was a brawl, this could only be considered poetry in motion. Melinda almost swooned as she beheld the artistry of the pigtailed boy's movements - the girl was equally impressive, and the combined work of physical art they were performing could only be referred to as breathtaking.

Collecting herself, she pushed her way through the crowd until she reached the front, her eyes never leaving the dancing pair in front of her. "Amazing," she breathed.

"Yeah," She heard a familiar voice comment to side, in equally hushed tones. "It's impressive, ain't it?"

"Rogue?" Melinda said, not needing to look over to know the person she was speaking with. "How did this start?"

"Ah couldn't even begin to tell yah," Rogue said, shaking her head slowly. "Risty challenged Ranma, Ranma accepted, and here we are. It's only been goin' on 'bout five minutes."

"Call me crazy," Melinda said slowly, coming to realize the perfect harmony in which the two fought. "But it kind of looks like they're bonding as much as fighting..."

"Ah noticed that mahself, actually," Rogue nodded, her lips quirking into an amused smile. "Ah think this also be Risty tryin' t'make up to him for all the teasin' she's subjugated him to since they met."

"You know," The blonde girl commented, smiling faintly. "This is possibly the most civil conversation the two of us have ever had."

"It ain't gonna last," The other girl remarked. "So Ah heard Ranma walked yah home the other night?"

"Yeah," She replied with a small nod, blushing at the memory. "My car got stolen, and I did not want to walk home alone."

"Ah suppose ya made a move on him too."

"Not on 'him'," Melinda replied, tearing her eyes away from the fight to give Rogue a covert glance. "On 'her' though..."

Rogue's eyes widened, and she ripped her gaze away from the fight. "What are you talkin' about?" She said slowly.

"You heard me," She replied with a smirk. "You live with him, so I'm guessing you know all about the _urse-cay_. He got wet when my sprinklers came on unexpectedly, and I saw it with my own eyes..."

"You kissed her?" Rogue breathed, unable to even blink as she stared at the other girl.

"You have not?" Melinda grinned widely as the other girl slowly shook her head. "Seems that makes me the first to capture the lips of both Ranmas." It was a small victory over her rival, and she was going to savour it; the fact that he seemed to be avoiding her since then didn't need to be brought up.

"It don't matter," Rogue scowled, turning her eyes back to the fight. "Ranma is still mah boyfriend, not yours."

"You may have him now," She commented. "But when you screw up, and you will, I am going to be right there, ready."

"Hope yah brought a book," Rogue snapped back," 'cause it's gonna be a long wait."

Melinda shot her a smirk out of the corner of her mouth and kept her attention on the fight. Ranma flipped over Risty's head with a casual grace, avoiding a spinning-kick type of thing; his opponent seemed to anticipate the move, spinning around with a fast jab to the face that Ranma barely managed to avoid.

"Wonder what those two are talking about," She commented softly,seeing Ranma grin at something Risty had said; they were too far away for her to hear, and reading lips when they were moving as fast as they were was very difficult. "I think he just said something about 'doing this again sometime."

"Y'all can read lips?" Rogue replied with a curious eyebrow. She winced as the British girl was nearly struck by an elbow charge, but managed to duck just in time.

"Not very well," Melinda admitted, looking closely at Risty and Ranma's lips - the lack of adequate lighting wasn't making it any easier. "Risty just said something about shovels, and preferring to fight without an audience. She likes getting dirty?"

"Right..." The southern girl said slowly, rolling her eyes. "The thing 'bout shovels was likely in reference t'the shovel hook move Ranma jus' tried."

"Oh," The blonde replied distractedly, currently torn from her lip reading by the way Ranma's muscles rippled during a roundhouse kick that nearly grazed Risty's chin. Licking her lips, she suppressed a small shudder and unconsciously leaned in closer. "Risty learned how to fight from her dad, I think."

"Y'know," Rogue said. "The runnin' commentary ain't necessary."

"Fine," Melinda huffed, crossing her arms. "I will keep all the little sordid details of they conversation to myself."

Ranma closed in on Risty, exchanging another series of lightning-fast strikes, all of which were avoided with remarkable dexterity. Melinda was awed not only by the remarkable skill both were displaying, but by the looks of sheer exhilaration on both their faces. She had never understood the passion Ranma seemed to have for fighting, not until this very moment; he had spoken about it on occasion, but what his words hadn't managed to convey, his actions now struck home.

"This is his world," She breathed, not even realizing she was speaking aloud. "This is what Ranma Saotome is all about..."

Rogue's lips curled into a small smile. "Yeah," she said, the close proximity the two girls held allowing them to just hear each other over the shouts and cheers of the crowd - many had taken sides now, calling out the name of the combatant they favoured. "Ya should see 'im when he really lets loose..."

"I never understood it before," The blonde said softly, her heart wrenching slightly as Ranma was almost hit by kick to the side. "But if this passion could be transferred to other applications..."

"Good luck," Rogue chuckled ruefully. On the court, Ranma dodged under a spin kick and sprang back with an uppercut, which Risty leaned over backwards to avoid. "Ah've been tryin', but the Art holds his heart above anythin' else..."

Melinda blinked at the trace of sadness in the other girl's voice, but nodded in understanding. It was a hard path, falling for Ranma Saotome, but if she was the type to simply give up, it wouldn't have happened in the first place. "Oh, it cannot be that hard," She gave the other girl a sly smile.

"Dream on, blondie," Rogue snorted. A hush fell over the crowd as both combatants went airborne, seemingly defying gravity as the fight went into the third dimension. "If ya think yer little liplock his other side puts ya ahead, you don't know a thing 'bout Ranma."

"What do you mean?" Laughter sounded from the court, but Melinda's gaze was locked on Rogue, the blonde's purple-painted lips quirking downward.

"Yeah, like Ah'm gonna give you advice on how t'win mah guy." Rogue snorted, keeping her own eyes on the fight; one of them was going to make a mistake sooner or later, and the single hit that would determine the victor would land. That person turned out to be Risty.

Avoiding a combination of spinning kicks, the British girl attempted to break through with a vicious palm strike to Ranma's abdomen, but overextended her thrust; taking advantage of the mistake, Ranma grabbed her wrist - holds didn't count, however, and Risty tried to pull the limb out of his grasp. Ranma surprised her by pushing with her own momentum, forcing her into a flip that sent her airborne.

Melinda's next words died on her lips as she witnessed this, her eyes growing wide as the British girl was sent more than twenty feet into the air. Her gaze darted back down to Ranma, only to find that he had already deserted the ground, joining his foe in flight.

The crowd went wild as the two met and the pigtailed boy immediately lashed out with a blurring bombardment of fists. It was a testament to Risty's ability that she was able to collect herself so quickly and put up a defense, blocking those she could and dodging those she couldn't, but she seemed unable to muster a counter-attack.

Melinda and Rogue winced in unison as Risty fell for a feint, giving Ranma the opening he needed to deliver a devastating vertical spin kick to her right shoulder, sending her straight into the basketball court with a deafening 'thud'.

Silence filled the Matthew's back yard as Ranma fell to the ground, landing gracefully on his toes less than a foot from Risty's point of impact, his wide grin lighting up the area. Bending down, he offered his hand in a gentlemanly fashion; Risty's grin was even brighter as she accepted the gesture, allowing the boy to pull her back to her feet.

"Very nice," Melinda read on the purple-haired girl's lips as she bowed to him. "I didn't see that coming until the last second."

Ranma's response was drowned out by the sudden eruption of cheers and jeers from the spectators. Melinda giggled as Ranma and Risty turned back to the crowd in surprise, pulling out her phone and snapping a quick picture of their bewildered looks; had they actually forgotten about the audience? Sharing a quick glance, they both shrugged and gave a pair of dramatic, flourishing bows. Risty began blowing kisses, while Ranma took on a faux-heroic pose.

Flashes burst from the crowd as more camera-phones captured pictures of the two martial artists, and Melinda suddenly had the feeling that news of this fight would be all over the school tomorrow morning. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing...

"Well, Melinda," Rogue said, giving her spine a small crack as she stretched her back. "It was nice chattin' with ya, but Ah think me, Ranma and Risty are gonna get goin' now." She grinned in response to the sour look the blonde gave her, turned away from her rival and made her way onto the court.

"That was some fight," Rogue commented as she approached them, handing Ranma his shirt back; neither noticed as she cast a disdainful eye over her shoulder. "Ah don't think anythin' else this party has is gonna top that."

"Agreed," The British girl remarked. "What do you say skip out on our adoring fans and shoot off before we get mobbed by autograph hounds?"

"I dunno," Ranma said, obviously basking in the praise; Rogue gave him an elbow to the gut to bring him back down to earth. Smiling sweetly as he gave her a look, he continued. "I think I could stand t-" Ranma cut off suddenly, and without looking Rogue could tell he had seen Melinda.

"On second thought," The pigtailed boy continued, grabbing both girls by the arms and hauling them up the stairs. "Yeah, let's get outta here. I think I got some uh, stuff to do back at the Institute anyway. Yeah."

* * *

While the fight outside had come to an end, in the house the battle raged on. The score had remained neck-and neck, and both Scott and Duncan were still going strong. Jean could see they were beginning to tire, however, but neither one was willing to let the other beat them.

"This is like one of those ping-pong matches you see on TV!" Taryn squealed, her eyes still following the ball as it was sent from one end of the table to the other.

"Table tennis." Emma corrected absently.

"What is this, triple overtime now?" Taryn asked, apparently still enthralled - by the match or by Scott himself, Jean wasn't sure. She gave her friend an annoyed look regardless.

"I think so," Emma commented, her cheeks flushed as she watched Scott spike the ball so hard she thought it might split open. "Of course, it's going to keep going, especially if they stick to the rule that victory must be by a three-point margin."

"Which means this could go on all night..." Jean muttered, her head throbbing even worse than it had this morning. She had seen Ranma make a hasty exit a few minutes earlier, dragging Rogue and the British girl along with him - which was just perfect. She knew she should have tried to pull him away from the goth girl sooner. "Would either of you like some hors d'oeuvres?" She commented loud enough for both boys to hear. "Like some macho cheese dip?"

"Yeah," Duncan grunted, quickly glancing over at his irate girlfriend. "Get me a soda too, would ya?" The blonde quarterback didn't wait for her sarcastic response as Scott used his momentary lapse to slam the ball hard against the far corner, sending it bouncing several feet away. Chasing after it, Duncan didn't seem to notice as he nearly ran into a couple of his own guests, just barely managing to catch the ball and send it back like a rifle shot before he made a hard landing on the floor.

The ball bounced off the table and into a high arc over Scott's head, forcing him to jump backwards and into a small cluster of party-goers as he swatted it back.

"I'm beginning to think," Taryn said, watching as the intensity increased by several levels. "That they aren't really playing ping-pong anymore."

"Table tennis," Emma corrected again.

"No," Jean agreed, shaking her head as they watched the ball fly forth and back. "They're dueling. You don't think Duncan's parents left the liquor cabinet open, do you?"

"You don't drink."

"Seems like a good time to break old habits," Jean remarked dryly, ducking with a sudden cry as the ball flew in their direction. Scott dove, hitting the ball high into the air and bouncing it off a random bystander's head, sending it further across the room.

Her headache rapidly becoming a migraine of epic proportions, Jean decided to end it as she saw Duncan charge through a crowd, knocking several people to the floor to smack the little white ball. Stopping it in midair with her powers, she snatched it and slammed it on the table, ignoring the disappointed cry that arose from the others. "Game set and match," She growled, stalking towards her boyfriend as he pulled himself off the floor. "Time for a word from our sponsors..."

"Wow," Taryn commented, staring down at the crushed remains of the ball. "Jean's got some good reflexes. And some strength," she picked the ball up and gestured with it towards Emma. "She destroyed the ping-pong ball."

"Table tennis," Emma corrected a third time, coming out of the haze she had fallen into. "Ping-Pong is a registered trademark of Sears-Roebuck."

"Whatever."

Scott watched as Jean grabbed the other boy by the arm and hauled him to another part of the living room. 'That was smart,' he commented to himself, throwing the paddle down onto the table and walking towards the balcony. 'Shouldn't have let that happen. This party was supposed to be for Jean, and you let that lugnut goad you into ruining it... Smart move, Summers...'

"Scott," He heard Emma breath, and felt a pair of hands encircle his wrist. "That was some game."

"Yeah, thanks," He muttered, gently removing his arm from the girl's hold. When did she get here? "Mind giving me a moment? I wanna get some air."

"Sure..." Emma replied slowly, giving the boy an odd look. Seeing the quick glance he sent towards the redhead - who was now berating her boyfriend on the other side of the room - Emma quickly put two and two together and narrowed her eyes.

So she had more competition? She could handle it, although determining whether Grey or Tendo was the bigger threat might take some time. Grabbing a drink out the hands of a passing boy, she ignored his indignant remark and took a sip while considering her next move.

* * *

"Duncan," Jean hissed, glaring at her boyfriend, "What is going on with you and Scott?"

"Hey," Duncan snapped back, shooting a glare over his shoulder at the other boy as he stepped out onto the landing. "I'm not the one who invited him."

"Yeah," She agreed, placing her hands on her hips. In her mind she was taking a quiet moment to weigh his good qualities against his bad qualities to see if he was actually worth it; to her surprise, he passed. "And what exactly it up with that?"

Duncan flashed her a grin. "If I'm gonna get chewed out," He said, taking her by the arm and pulling her close. "Might as well be while we're dancing."

Jean rolled her eyes, wondering exactly what made him think this was a good idea. A few stray thoughts from the boy pushed against her mind, but she forced them back. "I'm serious, Duncan," She said calmly, pulling her arms away - both to put an end to his idea of dancing and help get her point across. "Please, do not make me choose between you and my friends..."

**_'What does she see in that...'_**

She started as the thought pushed its way into her mind. No, not again...

**_'-like, who eats pizza with pineapple?'_**

**_'-hot girl took my drink...'_**

**_'-ottapeegottpeegottapeegotta-'_**

Her eyes drifted around the room of their own volition, taking in the people around her, their thoughts streaming into her mind like a flood. Jean's mental defenses were torn down before she could even erect them, the onslaught of voices causing the pain in her skull to increase exponentially. Somewhere outside herself she realized Duncan was still talking, but she didn't care; her body was screaming for a null, demanding she find Ranma and get one through any means necessary.

"Jean, are you alright?"

Was that spoken or thought? She couldn't tell anymore. The voices pounded at her skull like sledgehammers. Becky wants to see other people? Why? Who was Becky? Was she Becky? Why was Frieda angry at Jackie? Joshua had homework he should be doing. Who was Victor, and why did Janelle think he kissed like a dead fish?

**_-I can't believe Duncan's parents let him throw this party-'_**

**_'-time for-'_**

**_'-such a drama queen, I-'_**

Jean's hands clutched at her head, ready to pull her hair out if it would relieve the pressure. Silent shapes moving in darkness, voices surrounding her, claws ready to tear, thoughts and opinions and hatred and fears and love and lust and-

"GYaaaAH!" Jean cried out, startling everyone around her. Shoving Duncan away, she spun around and made a mad dash for the door.

Stumbling out onto the landing that overlooked the pool, the last thing on Jean's mind was the magnificent view. She likewise ignored Scott, leaning against the railing and staring off into the night sky. Her head thrashed about, her hands tugging at her hair as she tried to force the voices out. How long had it been since she'd felt the cool, refreshing caress of a null as it spread throughout her weary body? How long had Ranma been holding back from her what she deserved?

"Jean?" Scott's voice was distant, somewhere else entirely; he couldn't help, he was too far away.

The redhead grunted, crouching low to the ground as the pressure in her mind surged; it needed to be released. More darkness, more horrible vicious darkness surrounding her. She knew what they wanted.

Rising suddenly to her full height, her eyes snapped open; she saw only blackness, hidden shapes moving throughout. Demons, plaguing her mind, trying to force their way out - they wanted what she wanted. They would go away if she got what she needed.

"Jean, what's the matter?" Was he speaking or were those her own thoughts? "Jean, what's wrong, talk to me!"

She saw something move towards her, it's dark form pale against the all-consuming inky-blackness that surrounded. With a cry, she thrust out a hand to ward it off, sending a wave of telekinetic force to push it away.

Scott cried out as he was flung over the railing and into the air. "JEAN!"

The shout of fear broke through the haze of her mind and the voices vanished, and reality snapped back into place as she realized what had happened. "Scott?"

Racing to the edge of the landing, fear lashed through her mind as she saw her friend falling towards the pool. Reaching out with a hand, she stopped his descent moments before he hit water.

Releasing a sigh of relief, Scott stared dumbstruck at the water only an arms-length away. This was the shallow end of the pool, he realized with a twinge of fear. Reaching out a cautious hand, he touched the surface, sending ripples through the still water.

Grunting as she struggled to hold the boy in place, Jean felt the throbbing in her head return to a slow, steady beat. Her breath quickened as she realized what had nearly happened. What was going on with her? Her powers had surged before, but never this dramatically, and never twice in the same day. Not to this degree at least. This hadn't happened when she was getting regular doses of Ranma's null-touch...

"Hey!" She gasped as she heard Duncan's voice behind her, and her concentration vanished. "I heard someone shouting, what happened? Everything okay?"

"GYAH!" _'SPLASH!'_

Jean winced as Duncan peered over the edge. "Summers!" He shouted. "What the hell are you doing?"

Scott spat out a mouthful of water and sent Jean a scathing look. "Checking your chlorine levels."

* * *

"Alright," Ranma said, looking over the edge of the cliff; it had gotten dark, and the ocean below had become a mirror of the night sky, relfecting the twinkling stars and pale sliver of moonlight. "This looks like a good spot."

"It's very nice out," Rahne said, admiring the view as she took a seat across from the pigtailed boy, who was arranging the pile of dry wood he had collected into a small pile between them. Her smile, hidden by the darkness, was wide and eager. "Don't ye think?"

"A good night," Ranma agreed, shifting into full lotus position. Dressed completely in black, it was hard to see the boy, but Rahne's other senses were able to complete the picture of him. "Especially good for this kinda trainin'."

The pigtailed boy had been late getting back from the party, and thus the training session Rahne had been waiting for was delayed - much to her annoyance. All irritation she held for the boy had vanished quickly, however, when he had directed her outside. They had made simple conversation on the short walk to the bluff, and most of it Rahne couldn't remember with anything more than a feeling of happiness. He was so nice; fleeting fantasies of a romantic moonlight fight played through her mind, but she reluctantly set them aside.

"Now," Ranma said, breaking her out of her reverie. "Tell me everything you know about ki."

"I do not know much," Rahne admitted after moment. "Only that which me master taught me afore his passin'."

"I see," She heard him say. "How much did he teach ya?"

"Aconite taught me everythin' I know," She replied, a small smile coming over her face as she thought back on the man. "Started trainin' me from almost the moment I could walk. He and mother Moira were very old friends." Rahne paused, realizing she was about to get off topic. "Anyway, he taught me about ki, and how it flows through the body, how to control that flow and use the energy to augment me strength, speed an' stamina."

"What about theory?"

Rahne shook her head. "He wasn't able to get too far inta theory afore he passed on, and much of that I dinnae recall too clearly."

"Alright," Ranma said as she trailed off, unable to think of more she could add. "Theory is very important t'the advanced ki techniques, so we're gonna start over from the beginnin', okay?" He held up a hand, visible only as a black shape against the starry night behind him. Moments later it began to glow a faint blue, illuminating his face and form.. "This," he said as the glow moved away from his hand and swirling about into the form of a ball, pulsating gently, like a heartbeat. "Is ki. More accurately, this is ki channeled through my confidence."

Rahne drew in a breath and leaned closer, the sight of the life energy drawing her in like a moth to a flame. "It's beautiful," She whispered, reaching out a hand; halting it mere millimeters from the glowing orb, she shot him a questioning look. Seeing him smile faintly and nod, she closed the distance, letting her fingers slip inside the energy. A pleasant tingle shot through her as she felt the power of the boy's confidence against her skin, and she couldn't help but feel humbled by the power of raw emotion made tangible.

"This is a small amount," He continued as she drew her hand away. "In combat, this would do almost nothin' to an opponent. It doesn't have a lot of pure ki in it, which is a good thing, as using the pure stuff is a lot more drainin' on the body and a lot harder to replenish. But for teachin' purposes, this is how we're gonna start out."

The ball of ki became a dark blue, and Ranma turned his hand downwards towards the wood he had arranged moment before. With an audible 'woosh' the ki shot from his palm and into the brush, igniting the pile and creating a marvelous blue-tinged fire.

"Ya said ya knew how to augment yer physical abilities," Ranma continued, the flames casting dancing shadows over his face. "Explain how ya do it."

"I direct the flow of ki through my body," Rahne said after taking a moment to gather her thoughts. "And send it inta my muscles. Then-"

"Yes," Ranma cut her off, nodding. "Yes, but how do ya send it? How do ya make it move where you want it to?"

"I don't know," She shrugged, feeling a momentary flash of disappointment when she realized she didn't know how to answer his question. "I just do it."

"What do ya feel when ya do it?" He prompted.

"Depends on the situation," Rahne answered. "Sometimes I feel angry, sometimes I'm happy, sometimes..." she paused, feeling a blush come over her cheeks; hopefully he would think it was the heat of the fire. "Sometimes... other emotions."

"That is how you control where it goes," The pigtailed boy said. "Pure ki, directed through the body by your emotions. Now, once ya have it there, how do ya make it do what ya want?"

Rahne thought for several moments, taking her mind through the steps she used when in combat or training. In her memory, she could feel the sensation of her ki pumping in time with her heart beat, and she could feel how she felt when she augmented her speed. But was there difference in how it felt when she used her ki to increase her speed compared to enhancing other physical attributes?

Several minutes passed in silence, her teacher waiting patiently as she racked her brain to try and find something to distinguish the difference. With a sigh, she opened her eyes and shook her head. "I'm sorry," She said regretfully. "I dinnae think there was a difference."

"Then that," Ranma said, rising to his feet. "Is yer first assignment. Take your time, and come find me whenever you figure it out." He flashed her a smile. "You're a smart kid, Rahne-"

"I'm not a kid," She mumbled with a small pout. He didn't hear her.

"- so it shouldn't take too long. I think ya might already know the solution, ya just ain't lookin' at it correctly."

Rahne took a moment to enjoy the feeling his hand against her hair as he gave it an affectionate ruffling, then focused her mind on the current situation. She had been hoping to dive right into ki-blasts and other, more powerful attacks, but a small part of her was happy about going back to the beginning. Aconite had always told her that it was the best way to learn something new - it helped one remember where they had started, and to better refine what they already knew before tackling something unknown.

Slowly, Rahne stood up, her eyes watching the steady ripple of the waves below. Dropping into a ready stance, she erupted into movement, her body moving with graced earned through years of practice. This assignment wouldn't be too hard, she realized; the answer was right before her eyes.

She just needed to look at it in a different way.

* * *

"Alright, boys," Nabiki called out as she skipped down the stairs; in her hands was a large assortment of collected cash, which the girl was counting with an almost sorrowful gaze. "Proceeds are in from last week, and it's cut time."

"Hot damn!" Todd grinned, leaping across the room and landing at the bottom of the stairs, staring up at the girl expectantly. Within minutes he was joined by Lance, Freddy and Pietro, each with varying degrees of greed shining in their eyes. Behind them, Tabitha leaned against the couch with her arms crossed, observing with a bored expression.

"Todd," Nabiki began, turning to face the boy standing below her. "Your portion," she placed a pile of bills in his hand, and his eyes grew excited. "Minus the fifty pecent penalty for last week's stupidity," she snatched away a few bills, "Minus ten for minor damage to the house, minus five for coming in under-quota, and finally, minus another three percent for leaving the toilet seat up."

Todd's expression fell with every bill removed, leaving him in the end with a meagre seventeen dollars. "Yo, couldn't ya have just given me this," He whined as Nabiki handed the others their cuts, all but Lance being penalized for one thing or another, "instead of givin' me all of it and then takin' it away?"

"More fun my way," Nabiki smiled sweetly, then turned to Tabitha. "Well? Don't you want your share?"

"I get a cut?" Tabitha blinked, gesturing to herself in surprise. A bright grin blossomed over her face. "That does make sense, of course - I have done my fair share, after all."

"Right," Nabiki deadpanned, holding up the remaining money in her hand. "Your eleven percent... minus the one-time two percent first week training fees-" She pulled out a few bills,"-ten percent for house repair fees-" the pile got smaller "-and fifteen dollars for your first month's rent."

"Rent?" Tabitha repeated. "I have to pay rent?"

"It's a small fee," Nabiki explained pleasantly. "Fifteen dollars out of every cut. Trust me, you're not gonna find a better deal than sixty bucks a month."

"So wait," The blonde said, frowning as she did the math in her head. "All five of us get eleven percent. That makes up fifty-five percent of the total profits. It ain't fair that you get to keep forty-five for yourself."

"I keep five percent for myself," Nabiki replied slowly, her pleasant demeanor falling. "The other forty goes towards water, heating, and electricity, not to mention the food everyone in this house eats. If you want to end up with more money every week, then perhaps you should generate more profit in your dealings - or, better yet, don't cause so much damage to the house."

"Uh," Tabitha said with a weak grin. "Sorry, I didn't know..."

"Don't worry about it," She said, waving it off. "Concern yourself with making money, I'll concern myself with running the house and paying for all the fancy stuff we enjoy. Like trash pickup."

"By the way," Tabitha said as Nabiki took a spot on the couch. "Have you seen that little piglet I brought in with me?"

"Maybe. How much is it worth to you?"

"Nevermind," She sighed, leaning against the couch. "I'll find him myself..."

"Good girl," Nabiki said, grabbing the remote from Pietro and changing it the Sci-Fi Channel. "Keep in mind, pets cost extra. Now shut up, all of you," She pointed towards the television. "Mystery Science Theater 3000 is on."

* * *

"Look, I'm really sorry," Jean apologized for what had to be the fifth time since they had left the party.

"'It'll be fun', she tells me," Scott muttered, pulling off his soaking shirt as they stepped into the mansion. "Should have told me beforehand that it was a pool party..."

"It was an accident, Scott!" She defended, growing slightly irate as he continued to ignore her apologies. "You startled me, that's why it happened."

"Why what happened?"

Jean looked up and winced as she saw Professor Xavier, his chair parked at the base of the stairs and a curious look in his eyes. She tooka few discrete breaths as he moved himself closer to her and Scott; now would be a very bad time for a repeat.

"My impromptu swimming lesson," Scott told him, wringing the water out of his shirt.

"I-it isn't worth talking about," She said, crossing her arms and looking away sheepishly. "Really, we should all just move on-"

Kurt chose that moment to teleport into the room. "Vhat's not vorth talking about?" He asked, leaning against the back of Xavier' chair. Xavier shot him a look, and a weak grin sprouted on his blue face as he remembered he wasn't allowed to teleport while under probation.

"Nothing!" Jean insisted, walking past the small group that had gathered. "And you're not supposed to use your powers. I'm going to bed.

"Er, Jean," She heard Xavier say behind her. "Perhaps we should tal-"

"Ororo's off visitin' her sister in New York," a new voice cut him off, "But maybe some of the others are around..."

Jean stopped at the third step and looked over as Rogue entered the room, her friend Risty behind her. A small hope surged within her when she saw Ranma wasn't with them- if he was alone somewhere...

"And this brings us back into the foyer," Rogue said with an annoyed frown, gesturing towards the group - all of them with eyes trained on her and Risty, with the exception of Kurt, who had ducked back behind Xavier's chair. "Where we usually ignore all of our manners an' stare at people all bug-eyed."

"Uh," Scott broke the silence, waving awkwardly at the two girls as Kurt steppped out from behind the Professor's chair - now looking significantly less fuzzy. "Hey, uh, Risty. How was the fight?"

"Hey, you're all wet," The british girl exclaimed. "Bollocks, and we thought the rest of the party was going to be lame! We should have stayed!"

"Okay," Kitty said, phasing through the wall behind them and spritzing herself with perfume. "Be sincere, do I smell better now?"

"What?" Risty gasped, eyes darting around., "Where did you come from? I don't see a door over there!"

"I, uh," Kitty scratched her head nervously. Jean grimaced at the awkward situation that was rapidly developing, and wondered if maybe she should quietly make her escape while the others were occupied.

Kitty's bumbling explanation was cut off by a sound not unlike a sword being drawn from it's sheath. Once again, all eyes turned to see Logan entering the room, claws extended. The older man speared an apple from a bowl of fruit, inspected it, and walked into the main foyer. Seeing Rogue's guest, he spun around without missing a beat and returned from the direction he had come. "And they get on my back for breaking the rules..." Jean heard him mutter as he stalked away.

All eyes slowly turned back to Rogue and her guest, the latter of whom was staring, jaw hanging, at the corner Logan had disappeared behind. Jean winced in sympathy as Rogue squirmed slightly under their collected gazes.

The lights dimmed and flickered for a few seconds at that moment, causing everyone to look up in confusion. A few seconds later, Tofu's guilty voice crackled over the intercom._ "Uh... sorry, that was me."_

"Rogue..." Xavier said slowly.

* * *

"...so yeah," Rogue concluded, rubbing her bare arms against the breeze that had sprung up. She and Risty were outside now, having hastily made an exit. "Ah should have let them all know Ah was bringin' ya over after the party."

"Think you're going to be in trouble because of this?" Risty asked.

"Eh," She shrugged, not giving any answer beyond that. She might be punished, but this was only her first offense, so she didn't think it would be anything beyond a reprimand.

"Right," Her friend said, checking the timepiece at her wrist. "Well, I have to jet anyway. Don't worry about it too much, Rogue. I'll see you at school."

"Yeah," Rogue said absently, turning to head inside. "See ya tomorrow."

Slamming the door behind her, she gave an all-encompassing glare to her still-present housemates - making certain to add some extra ire for Jean alone - as she strode past.

"I'm sorry, Rogue," Xavier said, and she was almost convinced he meant it. "But visits like this need to be scheduled beforehand for this exact reason."

"Whatever," Rogue muttered, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes, not in any mood to hear what else he had to say. "Ah just won't invite any more of mah friends over."

'You wouldn't treat Jean like this,' She thought to herself, giving the redhead another glare as she started up the main stairway.

"That's not true," Jean said behind her, stopping the southern girl in her tracks. "I don't get treated any differently around here than you do."

Rogue slowly turned to face the other girl, her eyes blazing with fury. "What do ya think yer doin'?" She asked slowly, her hand gripping the railing so hard she wouldn't be surprised to see indentations.

"Oh!" Jean started, her eyes nervously darting from side to side. "I'm so sorry Rogue, I di-"

"Ya better believe yer sorry!" She snapped, "Who gave ya permission to go inside mah head?"

"I'm sorry," Jean repeated, flinching back. "It was an accident, I didn't realize..."

"Yeah, right," Rogue spat back through clenched teeth, her fingers flexing as she yearned to deck the girl right then and there. Instead, Rogue turned her back on the girl and stormed up the stairs. 'If yer listenin'," She added mentally, knowing Jean would pick up on her thoughts. **_'Yah bettah start watchin' yer back, bitch.'_**

At the bottom of the stairs, Jean flinched again, her hand unconsciously rising to her temple.

* * *

"You are having trouble with aspects of you telepathy, aren't you?"

Jean winced at the question and tried to meld with the chair she was sitting in. After politely asking the other students to leave, the professor had brought her into one of the larger sitting rooms in another part of the mansion. This wasn't supposed to be happening; he wasn't supposed to know she was having problems. "How-" She cleared her throat. "How did you know? Did you-"

"I did not have to enter your mind to realize it." Xavier shook his head, moving his chair closer to the girl. "What happened in the foyer was evidence enough."

"I'm- I'm just tired," She said, rising too her feet and turning away from him; the man was too observant, and would be able to see the lie on her face no matter how well she hid it. "It was a long soccer season, my classes haven't been cutting me any slack, and I've got track and field tryouts tomorrow, and Scott and Duncan have been going at it, and..." Jean trailed off, gesturing with a hand to show that the list went on.

"Perhaps it is merely fatigue," Xavier agreed, rubbing his chin. "Or it could be that your powers are growing beyond your ability to control them. Let me help you, Jean," The man gave her a comforting look, and she winced internally; she hated hiding anything from him. "It's what I'm here for - it's what you are here for."

"Professor," She said, turning back to him, smiling brightly and placing a hand on his shoulder. "It was a one-time thing, and I can handle it. I'm sure all I need is a good night's sleep." And for Ranma to give her a goddammned null; did she have time to find him before bed?

"Alright then," Xavier agreed, giving her hand a fatherly squeeze. "But remember, I am always available if you need assistance."

"I know," She replied, walking out the room; she honestly appreciated his offer and concern, but he couldn't help her with this. Only one person could, and so far, he was proving to be very uncooperative.

Jean smiled a very unpleasant smile as she closed her door behind her; it was too risky to try for a null right now, with Rogue as suspicious as she was, but tomorrow...

She couldn't keep an eye on him all the time.

* * *

END CHAPTER SIXTEEN

* * *

Author's Notes:

You know, I don't get to end chapters on cliffhangers often enough. I kinda like it...

Special thanks, once again, to my pre-readers, who did a truly excellent job. Let's hear it for them!

...

Alright, that's enough, they need to get back into their cages.

As always, thank you all very much for reading. C&C, both good and bad (as long as the bad is constructive, and not merely 'You suck for this reason, and this, etc') are, as always, appreciated. Apologies to all those I wasn't able to reply to last chapter, I got rather busy and forgot which ones I had sent responses to. I'll do better this time, honest.

If you haven't yet, stop by my author page and make you insignificant voice heard in my meaningless poll! There's also a forum for the fic, which sadly, doesn't seem to be attracting many people yet, and which I'd like to see more activity on - I enjoy interacting with the readership...

And... yeah, that's all for now. See you for Chapter Seventeen!

* * *


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Evolution 1/2**

**

* * *

**Disclaimer: Uh... Jean has hidden the disclaimer from me. She says she won't give it back unless she gets a null in this chapter. I may as well just wing it then; I don't own Ranma 1/2 or X-Men: Evolution. The Offspring, too, own all their own songs. I do, however, own all original characters, who serve at my pleasure.

For 600 bucks, one of them could serve at your pleasure to. KnowwhatImean, nudge nudge?

-Special thanks, as always, to my cadre of pre-readers, **GrizzlyBiscuit, JamesAxelrad,** and a big thank you to my newest beta/indentured servant, **Kuro-Neko**! They're over there, under the 'DO NOT FEED THE PRE-READERS' sign, so thank them on your way out.

-This chapter takes place during the second half of Power Surge; it wasn't a two-part episode, but I made it one.-

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

* * *

Stalking through the halls of the Kuno Mansion, Tessa's nose twitched in irritation as her senses were assaulted by a myriad of odious perfumes and detestable pot-pourri.

Small bowls of the stuff - pineapple-scented, she noted with increasing ire - stood at various intervals throughout the home, next to large wall hangings depicting ancient Kunos in scenes of martial glory. Shuntaro Kuno assaulting an army of rebels against the shogun; Fugaku Kuno presenting his sword to the emperor as he pledged his servitude; Chouza Kuno, covered in broken armour, wielding his sword defiantly against a black-clad behemoth of a man.

The Kuno family liked to pretend these events had actually happened. Tessa pitied those foolish enough to believe them.

The black-clad woman's nose twitched again as she passed precariously close to another bowl of the vile stuff. She would have much preferred to simply find a room in the town itself, but Kocho had insisted - ordered, really - that she stay in the mansion to avoid undue attention. No one would bat an eye at a black-clad figure creeping about the Kuno mansion, he had told her, and she was forced to admit that he was correct. Just because the convenience was there, however, didn't mean she would ever be comfortable with such extravagance.

Not that Tessa even wanted to be here; she was certain this mission was a fools errand, and that her talents would be much better in search of Darkholme herself, not some stupidly-named impostor. At least Kocho's children were no longer here. If she had had to deal with that stick-wielding pervert again...

Pushing the door to Kocho's private office open - and pushing aside the rat-like little sycophant that was standing on the other side - Tessa placed both hands on his desk and glared.

"May I help you, Sage?" Kocho asked, still not meeting her eyes. The palm tree on the top of his head was spinning slowly, it's fronds occasionally flaring. Tessa ignored the oddity, fixing her icy gaze on the man; the effect was less than successful, due to the large sunglasses that adorned his face.

"You've brought me here for nothing," She replied cooly, ignoring Sasuke's attempts to offer her a drink. "Pantyhose Taro has not been seen for days. There is not even a path of destruction to follow."

"He will be back," Kocho replied, setting aside the documents and lifting another folder from the large pile that cluttered the left side of his desk. "In fact, chances are highly likely that this so-called Taro has not left. The lack of destruction, actually, adds weight to our theory that this is not Pantyhose."

"I have observed the footage that has been provided," Tessa told him. "The subject has never taken a form other than the monster, and it has always been with the application of cold water. Ergo, it is nothing more than a Jusenkyo curse. I am here for nothing."

"Surely you cannot object to the pleasure of my company?" The man offered a toothy grin.

Tessa resisted the urge to stab him with his own shears; it wasn't easy, and there was a pair lying on the desk right there. They only needed his mind, after all... Shooting a glare over her shoulder at Sasuke, she turned back to Kocho. "Is it safe to converse with the toady present?"

"Sasuke wouldn't dare say a word," He answered with a flippant wave of his hand. "I can remove from his mind anything I wish. Even if he did have the nerve to speak, Magneto would... relieve him of the burden of knowledge."

Tessa gave him a terse nod, but cast another suspicious glance over her shoulder. "Regardless," she continued, finally releasing her grip on the edge of the desk. "If I must assent to this ludicrous task, I will from here on out be doing it on my own terms."

"And those are?"

"Complete autonomy." She replied, tapping the corner of her shades and bringing up a map of the district that she immediately began committing to memory. "I prefer to work alone and without interruption. I will report to you periodically, but you will not contact me unless there is an emergency." Tessa narrowed her eyes. "And there will be no emergencies."

"Tessa, do you know how many mutants there are in Nerima?" The man sitting at the desk asked suddenly, his attention again focused on his paperwork. "Including the two of us, of course?"

"Exactly forty-three," She replied, her mind going through detailed files on each and every one.

"Forty-four, actually." Kocho replied, setting the folder down and removing his sunglasses; his eyes were pure white, devoid of pupil and iris. The palm tree on his head flared and spun to face the southeast. "Twelve active and thirty-two inactive. And this is not counting those with dormant x-genes-"

"Of which there are one hundred and seventy-nine," Tessa interrupted, her gaze unwavering. "Is this going anywhere, Kocho?"

"Do you know the reason so many are in this one, tiny district?" He asked clasping his hands together and turning his chair to stare out the window that occupied much of the far wall. Through it one could see the expanse of Nerima spread out before them, bathed in the pale darkness of the creeping dusk. "You don't, of course," He said before she could answer. "It does not directly concern you, so you were never told."

"It is through my work," He continued, rising from his seat and walking to the window, clasping his arms behind his back. "It is what I have spent years accomplishing, manipulating and calling in small favours, getting families transferred here and establishing student exchange programs all over the world. Nerima has the largest concentrated mutant population in all of Asia, and it grows every year."

He turned back to her, his toothy grin spreading wide on his face. "I have organized all of this, Tessa, at the master's bidding. It has been my job for over a decade, allowing our organization to quickly pull in new mutants before Xavier's little copycat machine can even discover their existence. Most of them are weak, with minor powers or mere physical mutations, hardly of use, but we recruit them anyway. Because every so often, we get lucky. Like when we found you."

"You did not find me here." Tessa felt herself begin to bristle at the comment, easily picking up on the hidden meaning of the man's words. Setting a portion of her mind to analyze his declaration, she brought herself back under control. "And I do not appreciate your tone," She warned.

"We are both Acolytes, Tessa," Kocho said smoothly, arms still held behind his back as he slowly approached her. "Of roughly equal standing. My job is information, location and recruitment. Yours is to be where you are required, to do what you are required." His empty eyes narrowed. "And at this moment in time, what you are required to do is follow my instructions."

Several moments passed in silence, eyes locked and sending unspoken messages of mutual distrust and loathing. When Tessa finally spoke, her voice could have frozen boiling water.

"Are you finished?"

"For now," Kocho replied, his pupils returning to his eyes. The palm tree on his head became still. "You will continue to search for the so-called Pantyhose Taro, and you will find out what we wish you to. You may have your autonomy, however - I am willing to grant you this."

"Good." She replied. "Your servant may have his chambers returned to him. I will no longer be needing them."

Teeth clenched, Tessa gave the man a terse nod and spun around on one foot, her feet silent against the wooden floor as she glided out the door. He was correct on the status of their current relationship, but with time, the tables would turn.

And when they did, she would remember everything he said to her.

* * *

"There they are!"

"...what kind of jerk would hit a girl..."

"I don't see no bruises..."

Ranma gave Risty a covered glance as they walked through the halls of Bayville High, listening to the whispered rumours of the students crowded along the halls. On his other side Rogue walked in step with him, her lips turned upwards into an amused smirk. "Think they heard 'bout the fight?"

"Welcome to high school," Risty answered with a wide grin, waving to the onlookers. All eyes had immediately turned on the trio the moment they had stepped into the building, and the not-so-quiet whispering and speculation had followed soon afterwards. "Rumour and gossip spread faster than a fire in the chemistry lab."

"Ah know Ah saw a lotta cell phones out when it was happenin'," Rogue added, leaning against Ranma's shoulder; he shot her a curious glance, idly wondering - although not complaining - why she was being so openly affectionate lately. "Most of 'em probably knew before it was even over."

"Ain't that a kick in the pants," Ranma muttered, flinching back from the glares sent to him by a group of girls. No one at Furinkan had ever batted an eye when he got in a fight. Then again, he had always beaten up people nobody liked, whereas Risty had managed to make herself quite popular in the single week she had been here.

"Hey!" Risty saw the looks and returned a withering one of her own, along with a rude gesture that caused all four young women to gasp reproachfully. "I was the one who challenged him, and he won fairly, so keep your pretentious disapproval to yourselves, got it?"

"Honestly," She said, rolling her eyes as they left the stunned young women behind them. "You hit me once, and they act as if you cornered me in a dark alley and beat me half to death with a lead pipe."

"Most people tend to look down on a guy who is willin' t'fight a girl," Ranma pointed out; not that he especially cared. Pops had always insisted that every challenge be taken seriously, regardless of gender - the very idea of limiting the number of people you could fight was ludicrous to the pigtailed boy.

"Bah," Risty spat with a dismissive wave. "Bollocks to that. I say, if you're in a fight, then fight, and care later about whether or not it's fair. Gender discrimination has no place in martial arts, and I'll kick anyone's butt, male or female, who tries to claim differently."

"Easy for you t'say," Ranma muttered as they descended down the short stairway into the art department; a pair of students passing them on the way up gave him looks of moderate disapproval. "Yer not the one who's gonna have ta deal with the people who think otherwise..."

"They make any problems for you," she responded with a crack of her knuckles. "Then I'll set 'em straight."

"Don't need ya to fight my battles for me, Ris."

"Fine then," Risty sniffed. "But if anyone wants to claim I'm some weak little girl who can't handle a fight-"

"Morning Ranma," a cheerful voice broke in, and the three blinked in unison upon noticing Melinda standing in their path. Rogue frowned and turned away, pointedly ignoring the girl as she dialed in the combination to her locker.

"Hello there," Risty greeted warmly, dropping the discussion. "And who might you be?"

"Melinda Frost," The blonde introduced herself with a bright smile. "A friend of Ranma's."

"Ah, so you're the little blonde she-devil Rogue has been telling me about!" Risty exclaimed brightly. "A pleasure to finally have a face to go with the name. Risty Wilde, also a friend of Ranma and Rogue."

"I saw your fight at Duncan's," Melinda commented, her eyes slowly drifting over to Ranma; the pigtailed boy was examining what appeared to be a very interesting paint stain on the ceiling. "You guys are both really good."

"Of course we are," Risty preened. "Better than any you are ever likely to see. Although, I should mention that I let Ranma win-"

"Did not!" His head snapped back down.

"-so he wouldn't have to take a hard ribbing from the other boys," She winked at Melinda. "But, as pleasant as this all is, Rogue and I must be hurrying off to our first period." The British student gave a playful curtsy and grabbed Rogue by the arm, hauling her off down the hall behind her. "See you around, Melanie!"

"My name is 'Melinda'," The blonde called after the departing girls. Sighing, she let it go and turned back to Ranma. "So how are you doing? I did not get to see you at all yesterday."

"I'm good," Ranma replied noncommittally, walking past her and into the classroom. Melinda winced slightly, a small frown tugging at her lips as she watched him disappear through the doorway.

Following after, the nagging doubt from the day before returned twofold as she saw the pigtailed boy take a seat between two other students, on the other side of the room from where he normally sat.

From where they normally sat.

Blowing a strand of hair out of her face in irritation, Melinda took her own seat, ignoring the empty void next to her as the late bell rang, as well as the twinge of pain in her chest. Despite her best efforts, confusion and fear began to play about in her mind. Maybe he just wanted a different perspective on the subject? A plausible excuse, but one she couldn't in her right mind properly attribute to Ranma. All other possibilities met a similar fate, quickly proven illogical and cast aside. This had to be about Friday night.

Why the hell was he getting so worked up over one little kiss?

* * *

Sunlight streamed in through the small window in the upper corner of the room, a solitary beam of light cutting across the cushioned floor and all the way to the padded wall on the other side. In the uppermost left corner, only a few feet from the window, a small radio gave off several quiet beeps and clicked itself on. Voices emerged from it, speaking the wonders of Donovan Bros home repair services in time to an upbeat little ditty.

It was a small room, made more so by the several inches of padding that lined the floor and walls. On one end was a small dresser, made entirely from strong plastic and without any sharp corners. It didn't contain much, mainly socks, underclothes and the occupant's custom-made straitjackets. The center of the padded floor was covered with a large rectangular carpet showing the blue stripes and five blue stars of the Honduran flag, and several small heart-shaped pillows lay on top of it.

In one corner of the room was a futon, lying directly on the floor. Straps at the top, middle and lower sections hung loosely, intended to restrain the occupant but currently not in use. A bright green blanket covered the small form lying on the bed, rising slowly and steadily with her breathing.

The volume of the radio increased a few levels, the commercial segments ending and slow beats of an actual song beginning. The figure on the mattress twitched, long black hair falling out from under the blanket. Listening closely, one would have been able to hear some faint humming coming from beneath, perfectly in tune with the music.

The lone beam of light had reached the door by now, and the darkness of the room began to fade as morning invaded. The figure on the mattress stirred a bit more, and a lightly accented voice emerged from it, singing along with the music.

"My friend's got a girlfriend and he hates that bitch/ He tells me every day!"

Thaliá Camejo slowly rose from her futon, her wide yawn distorting her song as she tried to blink the sleep from her dark brown eyes.

"He says 'man I really gotta lose my chick/ In the worst kinda way!'"

A bright smile came over her face as she recognized the song she was singing, and the last vestiges of sleep finally departed. With practiced ease, she rose to her feet without any aid from her bound arms and moved to the center of the room, nudging the pillows to the side as she began bouncing along with the beat.

"...he works his hands to the bone, to give her money every payday," She sang to herself, her voice strong and beatific as the words formed in her mind seconds before they sounded from the radio. "But she wants more dinero just to stay at home..."

Her shoulders felt a little sore, she realized as her body took the rest of the beat, swaying sensually - well, as sensually as she could sway while in an overly-confining straitjacket. Maybe they would let her take it off for a few minutes today and let her stretch out a bit. Under watchful eyes, of course - one could never be too careful.

"...I won't pay, I won't paaa-ay! No way-ay-ay-AY! Heeey, now why don't you get a job!?"

Thaliá's head joined in with the rest of her body, bouncing and nodding with the radio's song, her hair flying in every direction as her body became consumed by the music.

"...I guess all his money well it isn't enough," Her voice now drained out her radio, echoing in an enticing way off the solid walls of her room. "To keep her bill collectors at bay..."

Another yawn suddenly came over her, and her body jerked to the right as she tried to instinctively lift a hand to cover her mouth. Thaliá barely noticed, caught up as she was in the music. Her hips swayed in time and her head beat with the drums, her entire body displaying a strange, bondage-chic sensuality.

"...I guess free rides just don't come along, every daaaay!" Her eyelids dropped, images forming in her mind associated with the lyrics. "Tell the one about the other friend now!" Her voice cut into a whisper, then grew again as the next verse started up. "My friend has a boyfriend and she hates that dick/ She tells me every da-"

_THUNK THUNK THUNK!_

The heavy knocking on her door brought the Hispanic girl back to reality, the music momentarily abandoning her. "Come in!" She called out, holding onto the beat for as long as she could, body still swaying to the melody.

The heavy door swung open, and a familiar dark-skinned man stuck his head in, eyes covered with one hand. "Thaliá?" He asked, trying to hide a smirk as he peeked through parted fingers. "You decent in here?"

"Harrison!" Thaliá squealed happily, dancing over to the door. She liked Harrison; his song didn't bother her. "You arrive with the sunlight!"

"Good mornin'," Harrison greeted with a warm smile, removing his hand from his eyes. "I don' mean to be rude, girl, but ya gotta remember to keep your voice down. Wanda may be two rooms away an' across the hall, but she can still hear ya."

"Oh my," Thaliá said, eyes wide in concern. Wanda had an angry song. "I'm sorry, Mr. Harrison. Was she awakened by The Offspring?"

Harrison shook his head. "Nah, that girl don't sleep much, she was already awake. It ain't the reason I'm here anyway."

Bouncing on her feet, Thaliá stepped back away from the door, allowing Harrison to open it fully and step inside. The creak that sounded as he did so had an industrial-noise feel to it. Behind him she could see three other guards leaning against the wall, chatting quietly among themselves. "Please come in, Mr. Harrison. Your song is ever welcome."

"There ain't much to it," The tall man shrugged. "Doctor Lieber is taking Wanda's therapy in a new direction, an' he's thinkin' you should join her."

"A duet?" Thaliá tilted her head, blinking. "With me? Does he really think that's safe?"

"Wanda won't hurt you, child," Harrison said, shaking his head. "She's made a deal with Professor Xavier, and Doctor Lieber is agreein' with it. The two of ya will be having joint sessions startin' on Friday."

"I hear you," Thaliá nodded, mentally adding that it wasn't herself she was worried about getting hurt. Still, if Professor Xavier and Dr. Lieber thought it was a good idea, then she would go along with it. Maybe she'd be able to change Wanda's song! Her smile grew brilliant at the thought. "Does this mean I get to make a new friend?"

* * *

"Excellent form, Hijiri," Soun murmured, weaving his way through the mass of students. "Sloppy footwork, Etsushi, fix it."

Walking though the evening Advanced Kenpo class, Soun continued observing the students and giving them small corrections and the rare word of encouragement. He preferred the role of the compassionate sensei, leaving the necessary berating and threatening to Genma - the larger man did have a natural gift for it, after all.

"It's a thing of beauty, eh Tendo?" Genma rumbled quietly as Soun returned to his place at the far wall, having completed his personal inspection of the class.

Turning to watch the group as a whole, Soun couldn't help but feel pride swell up within him. "Indeed it is, my friend," He agreed, his smile wistful as he recalled days long past, before his wife's death; so much time had been lost since her passing, too much of it spent in mourning. "I had forgotten how it felt to bestow knowledge of the Art upon the younger generations. Their eagerness is almost palpable."

"The elixir of life," His friend remarked, a grin splitting his wide face as he took an over-exaggerated whiff. "Ahh... I feel ten years younger."

Slapping his old friend on the back, Soun laughed; how had he lived so long without this feeling? Despite the joking manner of Genma's statement, it held a grain of truth to it. He truly did feel five, ten, even fifteen years younger at times while teaching.

"Alright!" He said, his voice firm and his gaze stoic; immediately, the students ceased their practice and turned to face him respectfully. "Pair off and begin sparring, I will be back in a few minutes, and I do not want to see any pairings I've seen before."

"Make sure they stay focused," Soun told his friend as he stepped into the passage that connected the dojo with the house proper.

"They will," His friend assured, him, crossing his thickly muscled arms across his chest and giving the entirety of the dojo the evil eye.

Soun smirked as the students seemed to suddenly move a little faster; surely a trick of the eye. He wasn't worried, however; not only could his friend handle them easily, but the entire Advanced class had been hand-picked by Soun and Genma. Not for their ability, as the pupils themselves thought, but for the dedication they brought to each and every session. To Soun, such commitment was a necessity - one could not advance far in the art, no matter how skilled they were, without that all-important element.

Stepping into the living room, Soun marveled at how quickly things had gotten going. The dojo had been open less than a year, and the classes were filled to capacity - and the waiting list wasn't getting any shorter. He hated having to turn anyone away, but there was a limit to how many students the dojo could hold.

"Perhaps it's time to start thinking about that expansion again," He muttered to himself, rubbing his chin as he considered the idea. A small wave of pain flashed through him; he first started planning the expansion not long before Kimiko had taken ill, and her death had made him put the plans aside - along with any notions of teaching. The feeling was gone quickly, however, and a smile lit up his face as another thought occurred to him.

A heavenly scent caught his attention, and his feet diverted him towards the kitchen of their own accord. "Kasumi," He said lovingly, entering his eldest daughter's domain. "That smells absolutely... heaven...lyoouh?" Soun's words slurred as his jaw dropped open.

Strewn about the kitchen table, instead of the usual cookware and assortment of ingredients, were the desiccated husks of electronic appliances and an organized assortment of components that Soun was pretty certain were originally inside them. On one side of the table was a white laptop he recognized as Nabiki's, and next to it a large toolbox; the sight of the latter sent another brief pang of melancholy through his heart.

Seated at the table, amidst the controlled chaos of tools, wires and circuit boards, was his eldest daughter. The tip of her tongue was sticking out over her upper lip, her mind fully immersed in whatever it was she was doing - which, from what Soun could tell, was the application of the heated metal tip of a soldering gun to the family toaster.

"Kasumi?" The words stumbled out of his mouth finally, surprising both his eldest daughter and himself.

"Oh my, father!" Kasumi exclaimed as she lifted her head up, revealing a small conical ocular lens jutting out from her right eye. "I didn't hear you come in. Dinner is in the oven and will be ready shortly."

"I smell that, yes," Soun replied slowly as the girl returned to her work. "Kasumi... I don't mean to pry, but may I ask what you are doing?"

"Fixing the toaster, of course." She replied with a cheerful smile. "I noticed that every piece of bread that was placed inside was coming out three shades darker than the setting it was on should have allowed." Switching off the soldering gun, Kasumi continued speaking as she inspected the seam she had just completed. "I thought it would be much nicer to have unburnt toast in the morning, don't you agree?"

"Yes, I suppose so," Soun nodded, his mind working to wrap itself around what she had said. "What about the other things on the table. Surely not all of it came from the toaster?"

"Oh, of course not, father," Kasumi replied, opening the tool box and carefully sorting the soldering gun and other items into their proper places. "After I had adjusted the internal heating system, I had a few other ideas. We haven't been using the VCR nearly as much since Nabiki brought home that DVD player, and I hardly ever listen to my discman." She gestured to the remains of two items on the table. "So I decided to use the processor from the CD player and several components from the VCR to improve the toaster a little."

"Improve...?" Soun asked dumbly as Kasumi rose from the table, took a slice of bread and slipped it into one of the slots, then pushed the lever down.

"Now, instead of relying on the antiquated thermal timer system the toaster came with," She continued, moving over to the stove and taking a quick taste from a large pot; nodding to herself, she added a dash of salt. "It now utilizes an advanced computerized sensor unit that detects when the toast has reached the optimal level of heating, as determined by the new internal processor."

Soun nodded again; all of this had flown over his head, but he thought it best to be polite.

Kasumi paused briefly, taking another taste of the dish being prepared on the stove. "Hmm... needs a little saffron..."

A soft, musical ding sounded, and the toast popped out a perfect golden-brown. "Your toast is now ready." He heard a chipper, disembodied feminine voice say in a soothing tone. "The current time is 7:03 PM, and the weather is partly cloudy. Have a wonderful day!"

"And that was...?"

"That was Aiko," His daughter replied, her face glowing with pride. "I added an automated notification system, hooked up to the WiFi card from the iBook Nabiki left in her room, which was also used to program everything. She did say it was alright for me to use it."

"I see..." Soun took a deep breath, staring at the toaster in awe and no small amount of trepidation. "Does the... toaster... do anything else I should know about?"

"I had some extra memory left over, so I installed Tetris on it," Kasumi said, thoughtfully tapping a finger against her lips. "I'm not certain why, or how it's even supposed to work with no screen, but other than that..."

For several minutes, the only sound to fill the room was the soft humming of his first born as she stirred the pot on the oven; Soun's mind was too busy assimilating the bombardment of new information he'd been presented with to fully hear it. Slowly regaining his faculties, he gestured slowly to the toolbox that sat upon the table. "Did... did you find that in the storage closet?"

"I did, yes," Kasumi answered, turning again to look at him, a pretty but worried frown playing across her features. "Oh my, was it wrong for me to have used it? Is it yours?"

"No, daughter," Soun said, shaking his head as a wistful smile formed upon his lips. "It was your mother's, and I can't think of a single person better than you to take possession of it."

Kasumi's eyes grew wide and she stared at the toolbox in wonderment, tentatively reaching a hand out and caressing the hard black surface as if seeing it for the first time. "It was momma's?" She repeated, her voice a soft whisper Soun had to strain to hear. A smile of serene bliss came over her face and Soun wasn't certain, but he thought he heard a quiet 'thank you' being uttered.

"Dinner-" Kasumi finally said, her eyes still glued to the box. She swallowed, and started again. "Dinner will be ready shortly."

Sensing he should leave, Soun quietly followed said instinct and vacated the room. A single tear soon squeezed it's way out of his eye, and he let it continue rolling down his cheek unhindered.

Stepping back into the dojo, he silently resumed his place next to Genma, a proud smile fixing itself to his face. Seeing Genma glance at him questioningly, he closed his eyes and sighed happily, feeling a contentment within him so strong that seemed almost alien.

"She is just like her mother."

* * *

Slouching in her seat at the back of the room, Risty Wilde doodled pictures of kittens as the teacher droned on about tangents and line differentials. Every so often the British girl would raise her head and pretend to pay attention, or lean sideways to listen to the lame joke the boy next to her would attempt. The poor hormone-addled fellow had been hitting on her since the first day, and while she appreciated acknowledgment of her extreme sexiness, she could have done without it.

Since the incident in the hallway that morning, she had been getting looks of sympathy from students who knew absolutely nothing about martial arts. They seemed to think that she was some kind of victim, and that Ranma was an aggressive arsehole. Rolling her eyes, Risty spared no pity for such ignorance; as far as she was concerned, the fight had been a great success.

Reaching a hand down the side of her leg, she felt the scroll tucked away in one of the many pockets of her cargo pants; she always kept it with her, not willing to risk leaving it at her host-parents. She would have it open soon, however - the success of last night proved the plan was working.

Indigo-painted lips twitched upwards into a sly smile; the match had done more than just advance the plan, it had provided her an opportunity to bond with Ranma. From their interaction that morning, she could already tell he was warming up to her. While not part of the strategy she had devised to have him unlock the scroll, a closer relationship with the boy was even more important in the long run. Having shared a fight now, she didn't think the boy would be adverse to sharing some training sessions - the Umisenken was a family school, after all.

Letting out a sigh of relief as the bell finally rang, Risty shoved her notebook into her bag and abandoned her seat, following the rest of the class out the door. Falling in step beside Jean as they entered the hall, she gave the redhead a bright smile. "So how DID Scott end up in the pool last night?" She asked, pouring excitement into her tone. "I'm simply dying to know!"

"Huh?" Jean blinked, giving her a look saying that she obviously had been far off in her own mind. "Oh, it's not that great a story."

"Come on!" Risty protested with a pout.

"I barely even remember it," Jean laughed, nervously shifting the books under her arm. "How about your fight with Ranma? I've noticed he doesn't seem to be too popular around here right now..."

"He won, that's why," She replied as they turned the corner leading to the cafeteria. "Some of the student body apparently thinks that it's improper to hit a girl under any circumstances." Risty snorted, showing exactly what she thought of that.

"That's unfortunate," Jean said absently; Risty rose a finely-trimmed eyebrow as she saw the other girl's eyes drift towards Ranma, who was holding the door open for Rogue as they took their lunches outside. A small frown flashed over her face briefly; something was going on with Grey...

"Yeah, such prudes at this school," She said, walking past her companion and giving a small wave over her shoulder. "Well, fun chatting with you. Have a nice day!" 'Yeah, fun,' she thought to herself, sneering as soon as she was out of sight. 'As fun as watching turtles mate on a glacier.'

Pulling her lunch out of her backpack - roast beef and ham, lettuce, tomato and cucumber slathered with mustard on a hoagie roll, something she knew Ranma would love - Risty followed after her new best friend and said best friend's boyfriend. Spotting them heading for the tree under which they usually ate, she stood back for a few minutes, going over what she needed to say. This part of the plan was crucial.

The conversation in her mind fully rehearsed, Risty stepped forward, taking a slightly roundabout way to ensure the maximum surprise when she snuck up on the boy.

"Kurt! Give me back my lunch!"

Two people suddenly darted around the corner, the first one - Kurt - laughing uproariously at the second - Kitty - who was currently trying to catch up with him. The former held a brown paper bag in his hand, obviously the lunch that the later was trying to reacquire. Risty didn't even have time to dodge as Kurt plowed straight into her, followed by the brown-haired girl and sending all three into some very prickly bushes.

"Look," Risty growled from the bottom of the pile. "You're both very cute, but we hardly know each other well enough for this."

Blushing a dark red, both scrambled off of her with hasty apologies. "Sorry Risty," Kitty said, snatching the brown paper bag out of Kurt's hands. "Kurt stole my lunch, and-"

"No harm done," Risty interrupted, brushing herself off and pulling herself up into a sitting position. "Just keep your peepers open while on the chase next time, okay?" The minor kerfuffle had garnered the attention of everyone within eyesight - including, unfortunately, the very people she was intending to surprise. Sighing, she accepted Kitty's offered hand and pulled herself up.

"Go ahead and laugh," She challenged everyone with a smile showing off pearly-white teeth. "You know you want to."

Grinning triumphantly as several nervous chuckles filled the courtyard, Risty brushed off the remnants of the sandwich that had been crushed against her chest - fortunately still in it's packaging and perfectly edible, with the exception of a tomato that had somehow popped out and into her cleavage.

"Lucky tomato," she heard someone say as she fished it out of her clothes, showing no embarrassment whatsoever at having a hand down the front of her own shirt. Glancing to the side, she saw the comment had came from a group of boys at a nearby table. Flashing them a bright grin and a saucy wink, she tossed the sliced red fruit at them, where it landed with a wet 'plop' in the exact center of the table.

Laughing at the blushes that came over their faces - and making a note of one or two, who looked rather cute - Risty made her way again to the couple under the tree, leaving behind the arguing pair who had knocked her down.

"Well, that was no fun," She pouted, plopping down next to Rogue. "They completely ruined the surprise I had planned."

"Ya must be heartbroken 'bout not being able to surprise me," Ranma said, eying the sandwich in her hands; the remains of his own lunch lay on the grass next to him.

"Most assuredly," Risty pouted. "I was going to pop out of the tree upside-down. I was hoping to see milk fly out of your nose."

"Awww," Rogue teased, swallowing a forkful of her salad. "Poor widdle Wisty."

"Quiet, you," The British girl stuck out her tongue. Opening her sandwich, she sighed in happiness as she took a big bite, smiling at the look of envy on Ranma's face as she chewed slowly and deliberately. "Wan' a bite?"

* * *

Tossing her school bag into a nearby chair and kicking her shoes off next to it, Tabitha arced backwards and let out a contented sigh. "Mmmm," She moaned, feeling the kinks that had built up over a long day of sitting slowly melt away. "Feels so good to be out of that place."

Technically, school wasn't over yet, but with the end of sixth period the blonde mutant had decided she'd learned enough for the day. Besides, how much useful knowledge was she going to gain from another boring History class? All that stuff had happened so long ago, and Tabitha had never been interested in looking back - nor in looking forward, now that she thought about it. She preferred to live solely in the 'now'; the present was so much more fun, so why bother with stuff that had already happened or stuff that had yet to happen?

The downside of this, of course, was that her roommates were still at school, leaving her alone in the big, empty house with nothing at all to occupy herself. There was nothing good on TV at this time of day, and her interest in CSI was passing at best, so any selection from the boy's DVD collection was out. Her piglet friend - whom she was considering naming 'Side Dish' - had wandered off, and Nabiki kept her room locked, so using the other girl's computer wasn't possible.

Homework, of course, was never even considered.

"Great," she said to herself, leaning against the back of the couch. "Instead of being bored in a classroom I get to be bored in the comfort of my own home." This wasn't a good thing, and she knew it; boredom and Tabitha Smith were a combination that usually resulted in costly repairs.

Eyes drifting around the room for some form of entertainment, they finally rested on the sliding glass doors that led into the Brotherhood's large back yard. She hadn't been out there yet, she realized; maybe there was something of interest there? At the very least it would kill a couple of minutes.

Sliding open the doors, she stepped outside, enjoying the feeling of the cool grass between her toes, the green mixing nicely with the electric blue of her toenails. A large red brick wall ran a circumference around the place, and the nearest neighbors were nearly a block away, ensuring complete and utter privacy. She could strip down and run around naked if she wanted to - a few moments of consideration and she regretfully shook her head. No telling when the boys would be home, after all.

Turning around in a full circle, her eyes lit up at the sight of a swing set/ jungle gym combination set up on the far side, next to a few trees. "Cool!" She squealed excitedly; she hadn't been on one of these in ages! Breaking out in a run, the blonde mutant suddenly found herself flying towards the ground face-first. "What the hell?"

Pushing herself up and looking over her should, all thoughts of swing sets disappeared from her mind. Right next to her foot - which was throbbing lightly - was an unconscious boy.

Rolling over onto her back and rubbing her eyes, she looked again. Yes, there was indeed a conked-out boy lying under the shade of the tree she had landed beside. Next to him was a large umbrella and a traveling pack, both of which sparked a momentary feeling of familiarity that was promptly discarded as she went in for a closer look.

"HEL-looooo..." She breathed, her grin growing even wider as her eyes danced over the rippling muscles she could see under his black shirt. He was snoring slightly, and when his mouth dropped open the blonde girl had to hold back a squeal upon seeing an adorable pair of fangs inside it. "Tabitha likey."

Comatose boys, however, no matter how cute were no fun at all - unless, of course, Tabitha herself had been the cause of said unconscious state. Grabbing a nearby stick, she decided to quickly remedy the situation with a sharp jab to his abdomen.

The stick broke. The boy continued snoring.

Undeterred, she tossed the remains away and jumped right into a more drastic course.

_ssshkaBOOOM!_

The result was a slightly singed, still sleeping boy with no shirt. An improvement, but not quite the one Tabitha had been aiming for.

Frowning, Tabitha hunched down closer, propping her chin in the palm of her hand as she considered the situation. "This may be harder than I thought..." She muttered.

* * *

The only real problem with having Physical Education at the end of the day, Ranma realized, was that most of his classmates were too tired from getting through the first six periods to put in a truly good showing. Not even bothering to hold back a yawn, the pigtailed boy spun around and began running backwards in an attempt to make the race ever-so slightly more challenging. The other runners were several yards behind him and panting as they tried struggled to catch up with him.

Outclassing the other kids by such an embarrassing degree was another disadvantage.

"Jeez," He muttered, rolling his eyes. "It's only a four-hundred meter race. Don't even have no hurdles t'deal with."

Turning around to face the finish line, Ranma yawned again, slowing himself to walking speed as he broke the proverbial yellow ribbon. It was almost thirty seconds later before the second-place finisher followed and quickly collapsed against the synthetic polyurethane track, gasping and wheezing as if he'd just smoked a carton of unfiltered Pall Malls.

Rolling his eyes again, Ranma stretched his arms out behind his head and strolled away in a direct path to the locker room. The bell would be ringing in a few minutes, and the actual tryouts for the track and field team would be starting shortly after; Ranma had a carefully thought-out scheme to be anywhere else before-

"Saotome!" He heard a voice behind him call out.

-the coach tried to convince him to join. Sighing, he turned around to face the broad-shouldered man jogging in his direction. "Yeah Coach?"

"Please, call me Hank," The Coach replied with a friendly smile. "That was an amazing race you just ran! Do you realize that you just broke the school's record for the 400 meter? A record I set, in fact, back when I was a student here."

"Oh, great," Ranma groaned to the surprise of the older man. "I know what happens next. Yer gonna get pissed, challenge me to a race to try an' win it back, I'll win again, you'll swear vengeance..."

"Uh... no," Hank answered with a raised eyebrow. "Actually, I wanted to congratulate you and offer you a spot on the track team."

Ranma blinked, not quite comprehending the rationality of that. "...couldn't ya jus' swear vengeance or somethin'?"

"I am afraid I don't understand," Hank replied. "You don't want a guaranteed place on the team? You wouldn't even have to try out, from what I've heard from the other Phys Ed coaches."

"I just ain't interested," Ranma told him sharply."The soccer, basketball, football, baseball, and jazz dance coaches all asked me last year an' got the same answer. Ya wanna know why, go talk t'one of 'em. I'll seeya t'morrow."

"Wait," Hank said, putting a hand on his shoulder as he turned to walk away; Ranma blinked at the amount of strength he felt in the coach's grip. "You live at the Xavier Institute, right?" He asked in a low voice, surreptitiously glancing at the people still idling around the field. "Does your refusal have something to do with... that?"

"I dunno what yer talkin' about," Ranma replied, not looking back at the man for fear that his horrible poker face would reveal the obvious lie. "Hey!" he suddenly said, whipping his head to the side and pointing just behind Hank, "Is that, uh, John Travolta?"

"What?" Coach McCoy said, casting an eye in the direction Ranma had pointed. "I don't see anything...

Taking advantage of the man's split-second of distraction, Ranma bolted away, slipping under the bleachers - McCoy would expect him to run into the locker room. Stepping around a small puddle of something he didn't want to know about, Ranma heaved a sigh of annoyance. What was with these coaches trying to make him join one team or another? Couldn't they take "no" for an answ-

Spinning around, Ranma barely had time to brace himself as he was flung hard into the back wall by an invisible force. Grunting and gritting his teeth, he fought against it in vain; whatever it was, it was too powerful for him to repel with strength alone. 'Stupid,' The pigtailed mutant thought to himself, 'Let yer guard down for a minute, and look what happens!'

"Finally got you alone," A pained voice drew his attention to the shadows on the far end of the bleachers.

"Jean?" He said nervously. "What the hell are ya doin'?"

The redhead in question emerged from the shadows, dressed in a red top with a horizontal gold stripe across the middle with the letters 'BHS' were emblazoned upon it in red, and a pair of loose red pants with gold stripes down the legs- an ensemble his mind told him was a Bayville High track training uniform. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail by a plain white scrunchie, the few strands hanging loose giving her the slightly frazzled appearance he'd been getting used to lately. The accusatory look in her eyes forced him to repress an involuntary shudder. "You've been avoiding me," Jean said, advancing on him with slow, deliberate steps. "You know how much I need you, now more than ever..."

Her voice grew increasingly frantic the closer she came to him, and Ranma doubled his efforts to free himself from the telekinetic hold. "Jean," He said firmly, his voice not betraying the nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. "This ain't right. You need to talk to-"

"I don't need to talk to anyone!" Jean hissed, suddenly appearing scant millimeters from his face. Her eyes were blazing pools of green fury, and he could feel the mental force pressing him harder against the wall. "Words and advice and discussion are all useless, I just need a null!"

"I toldja I ain't gonna give ya no more, Red."

The anger in her face bled away, replaced only with nearly-palpable desperation. "Please Ranma," She begged, grabbing him by his shirt sleeves. "I don't know how much longer I can hold them back!"

"What are you talkin' about?" He asked, "Hold who back?"

"It," Jean corrected, her head jerking to the side. "I meant it. It."

"You need to talk to the Professor," Ranma repeated slowly; he could feel her hold starting to weaken. Twitching his fingers experimentally, he continued. "Ya don't need no more nulls, and I'm beginnin' t'think-"

"I do need more!" She interrupted, fixing her twitching, distraught gaze with his; Ranma could see the fervor increasing deep inside the verdant green orbs. "I'll do anything you want, just give me a null!"

The girl's expression rapidly shifted again, and her hands slid to his shoulders and down his chest as she leaned in close to his ear. "And I do mean... 'anything'..." her voice was light and sensual, filled with promises of doing exactly what she was suggesting. Her breath lightly tickled his ear and sent a rush of endorphins through his immobilized body. "Anything you want..."

Ranma's eyes grew panicked as Jean pulled away from him slightly, the scrunchie slipping out of her hair and falling to the hard-packed earth below. Crimson hair flying freely, she leered up at him through the strands with a sultry half-lidded gaze. Her hands slid across his pectorals and down his abdomen. "I can make you feel very good, Ranma..." Jean breathed, her full lips inches from his own, her breasts pressing firmly against his chest through the thin track uniform.

From his time in Nerima, Ranma had much experience with being paralyzed against walls by incredibly sexy women. Many a time a buxom young Amazon had placed him in a similar situation, and a many a time he'd spent panicking and resisting, knowing that if he gave in it would be a one-way ticket to China - either through the Joketsuzoku or an angry mallet-wielding tomboy. However, added to this experience was the time he'd been spending with Rogue - specifically, that spent in private, less-than-clothed circumstances.

This, however, felt much different from his escapades with the Southern girl; the feel was completely wrong. Not the actual feel of the redhead girl - which Ranma knew if he gave in and consented to would probably be quite amazing - but rather the feel of the lustful ki radiating from the girl. It was similar, yet vastly different, as if the lust wasn't as much for him as for something else and directed towards him.

"J-J-J-Jean," He managed to stutter, every fiber of his being now trying to break free of her powers, the desperate need to flee overwhelming him. His eyes bulged as he uniform top began to pull itself apart thread-by-thread, revealing beneath it a dark red sports bra stretched tight over her generous bust. Rational thought initiated DEFCON 4 and ordered libido be kept away from the vocal chords at any cost. "Y-Y-Your u-uni-uniform..."

"Oops," She said coyly, tracing a fingertip down his chest, outlining his abs with a feather-light touch. "How did that happen?"

"S-stop this, Jean," Ranma protested; her control was slipping further, he realized, rotating his wrists a few centimeters. He just needed one free arm...

"I told you," Jean whispered, her hands beginning to slide dangerously low. "I can make you feel so very, very good... you know I can. You know I'm good for it," her lips were a hairsbreadth from his own now. "All you need to do-" One hand slide down and began to tease the waistband of his pants "-is give me one-" she pressed closer against him, "-little-" Her other hand slid down to his thigh. "-null."

"Anything you want me to do," She repeated, closing the gap as soon as the words left her lips.

Instantly the telekinetic force impeding his movement vanished. Not wasting a moment, Ranma grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her backwards, sending her tumbling to the hard earth below with an astonished yelp. Ignoring her shouts of anger, Ranma poured as much ki as he could into his leg muscles, multiplying his potential speed exponentially and almost flying as he made a frenzied escape.

"NOT SO FAST!"

A searing agony lanced through his back, and Ranma bit back a scream of pain as what felt like a five-ton elephant landing on his back sent him crashing to the ground. Cursing, he tried to push himself to his feet, only to be forced back to the ground by an intangible pressure from above.

"I tried to be nice," he heard Jean growl. "I tried to be more than nice, and you still denied me. Must I resort to force?"

"I ain't givin' ya nothin'," Ranma spat out. "Ya got a problem, Red, ya need serious help."

She hissed, and his body jerked into the air; unseen vices clamped on his wrists and ankles, forcing him spread-eagle as he was slowly floated towards her. Jeans face was flushed, and a desperate anger flowed from her in tidal waves that crashed against his senses. Her eyes were boring holes through his skull, and his mind felt as if it was being jabbed with hundreds of burning needles. Images of horrible yellow eyes in the darkness came, unbidden, to the forefront of his mind. The need to get away flooded through his body, drawing energy he didn't know he had.

"I told you! I told you I don't need anything except a null!" Jean shouted, rising into the air, her hair whipping about in a flurry of slashing crimson. "SO. GIVE. ME. A. GOD. DAMN. NULL!"

"Bite me." A sudden flash of brilliant white light exploded outward from the pigtailed boy as he sacrificed every scrap of ki he could find. It was unfiltered, what he had described to Rahne as 'the pure stuff'; Ranma hated using it - every cell of his body felt like it was on fire, the normal cushion of emotion absent from the channeling.

Jean let out a painful cry and fell to the ground, her eyes watering and concentration disrupted. Ranma hit the ground at the same time, and, with his body protesting, he forced himself to his feet.

"Get some help, Red," He croaked out, breaking into a stumbled, uncoordinated escape, ignoring the curses and cries of the blinded girl behind him. His body felt like it had been dipped in molten lead, but he used the fire and pain to propel himself out from under the bleachers.

It felt like hours passed before he finally managed to make it to the front of the school, where Rogue and Kurt were waiting for him - Scott was trying out for the track team, he barely remembered. No ride home today. Through sheer force of will he maintained consciousness, his legs threatening to give out with every step.

"Ranma?" He heard Rogue ask, her voice as hazy as her features. "Are ya alright?"

"m'fine." He slurred out, propping himself against a tree, his strength beginning to return with the speed of a snail hopped up on Robitussin and heavy doses of sleeping aids. His vision wavered, the three Kurts and seven Rogues giving each other worried looks. "Y'should introduce m'to yer sisters..."

* * *

_'ssstrwEEEEEEEEEEEEEEt'_

The shrill whistle made Jean flinch as she stepped out into the field, several minutes late for the start of the tryouts. It hadn't taken her too long to recover and return herself to a more acceptable appearance - she had fortunately kept a spare top in her gym locker. The headache that had been plaguing her off-and-on for weeks now had returned yet again, this time bringing several friends; Ranma's flash had really done a number on her, and the spots in front of her eyes were only now disappearing.

Why did that boy have to be so difficult? Jean bit back a growl; held within her grasp, he'd done something and managed to break her hold and -again!- escape. What more did she have to do to get what she needed? She'd offered him money, she'd even gone so far as to offer him her body! What more could a man want? She was attractive and had a killer figure - he should have been putty in her hands. She should be cruising through these stupid tryouts right now, with a null in her system... Her eyes narrowed; no matter what lengths she had to go to, that boy was not going to get away next time.

"Sorry I'm late," Jean apologized to Coach McCoy, jogging up to the man, who was watching several people cross the finish line for the fifty-meter dash. "I got held up with, uh, something."

"Grey, right?" McCoy said, checking his clipboard. "Don't worry, you're not that late. You're trying out for the javelin throw, the high jump, and the 100, 200 and 300 meter dashes, correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Alright then, get yourself warmed up," The coach smiled, gesturing towards where several other athletes were stretching and practicing for a variety of events. "You're already part of the team, so this will merely be standard procedure for you." He glanced around, and added with a conspiratorial whisper. "And based on what I've seen so far, you don't have much to worry about."

With a brief nod, Jean jogged over to an empty area of the field and began stretching, her eyes slowly roaming around the field to take in her potential teammates. Several members of the track team had graduated last year, so there would definitely be some fresh blood brought it; she knew she had no guarantee of making the team again, despite the coach's assurances, but from what she could tell, his assessment was accurate. She winced upon seeing a freshman boy trip on the long jump and land face-first in the sand.

Across the field, she watched as Duncan hurled a javelin a respectable distance. Immediately after, Scott launched one a few meters further and gave the other boy a superior smirk; it was returned by a baleful glower. Jean sighed - those two were turning this into another competition. Was it really so hard for those boys to get along?

Her head throbbed, but she forced the pain aside, along with the thoughts of a passerby that managed to seep in; now was not the time to be distracted.

Finished with her stretching, Jean got up off the grass and over to the high jump. A flash of irritation coursed through her at the small line already there, but she forced herself to take a deep breath and get in place behind them. Ranma should have given her the null; this easily-annoyed state of mind she was experiencing was all his fault. Another thing to remind him of, she decided, when she confronted him later.

When her turn finally came, the anger towards Ranma had steadily built into a strong crescendo, which the redhead used to fuel her run. Coming at the bar from an angle, she jumped with a grace she'd never experienced before, twisting in mid-air and clearing the bar by several inches - centimeters, she corrected herself as she landed softly on the mat with a satisfied grunt. They used the metric measurements in this sport. Pumping her fist in celebration, she grinned at the surprised look on the assistant coach's face, and her annoyance towards Ranma ebbed a little; she begrudgingly admitted that the training he'd been giving her was paying off. Last year, she would have hit that bar.

Riding on a wave of success, Jean ran to the next event. The throbbing in her head increased with every step, as did her anger, but she resolved to herself that she would use it to her advantage.

On another part of the field, Scott grasped the fiberglass pole firmly in his hands and eyed the bar several yards away. The previous jumpers had made it over easily, so Coach McCoy had decided to raise the crossbar several standards - literally 'raising the bar,' he had commented with obvious amusement - to give those competing more of a challenge. Scott agreed with the idea, although personally he thought the new setting might be a bit too high for him to clear; this wasn't his best event to begin with, and the smirk he could feel on the back of his neck from Duncan confirmed that the other boy knew it.

Narrowing his eyes behind ruby-red shades and grimacing, Scott altered the pole's position, with the far end pointing upwards and began sprinting down the runway. He'd been practicing this over the summer, in both the Danger Room and through other methods in Ranma's training sessions, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let that blonde jerk show him up. He didn't go through that demonic gauntlet of gophers for nothing...

Building up speed, he lowered the pole at just the right moment, hitting the box and propelling himself upward. With a strained grunt, he swung his upper body downward, using the stored kinetic energy in the pole to push himself higher and towards the bar feet-first. The pole began bending at the middle, then suddenly recoiled, propelling his body higher. Executing a half-spin over the bar, he blinked in surprise upon seeing it scant millimeters beneath him.

Letting go of the pole in a daze, Scott felt a wide smile creep upon his face as he successfully made it over, falling to the thick mats in the pit below. His heart was racing, as he pulled himself up, and for several moments he was unable to believe what he'd just accomplished. It may have not been picture-perfect - at least, not from his perspective; those on the ground might have seen if differently for all he knew - but he was damn well satisfied.

"Very well done, Summers," Coach McCoy exclaimed, smacking him on the shoulder; Scott winced at the impact, the gym teacher's friendly pat like that of an over-enthusiastic gorilla. "Matthews, you're up."

Duncan gave Scott a brief and begrudging look of respect, then proceeded to execute his own jump, easily clearing the bar and landing on the mats below. Scott didn't care too much - Duncan had been all-city last year in this event, so it had been expected. Feeling a surge of confidence rush through him, Scott jogged over to the circular track, where the 110 meter hurdles were being set up.

In the stands, Lance sat hunched forward, elbows on his knees as he watched the tryouts with disinterest, occasionally making notes on a small pad. He didn't know what the big deal was; it was just a bunch of running and jumping and throwing, anybody could do it. Lance didn't have much of an interest in school sports in general, though, and was only here to scout for Nabiki and the rest of the 'Hood - it was far easier to set odds if they knew beforehand who might be worth betting on.

He smiled as he saw a familiar brunette - in very tight red pants - getting ready for the long jump; well, maybe there were other reasons to come to these things.

A mousy short-haired blonde girl with a nose ring slipped into the seat next to him. "Hey," She greeted casually, straining a crease in her blue jeans. "What'd you get for number seven on Hoyne's geometry homework?"

Reaching into his backpack, Lance casually pulled out a red folder marked 'Math' and flipped it open. Paging through the sheet inside, he pulled one out and placed it on the bench next to him without bothering to look at the girl; she was a regular, and knew the routine. "Here," he said, sliding it over to her. "Take a look for yourself. Twenty bucks says you can't figure it out either."

Picking up the paper, the girl slipped it into her own bag and stood up, revealing a small white envelope beneath her. "Yeah, probably not. I'll see ya tomorrow."

Waiting a few moments, Lance reached over and took the envelope; holding it on his knees, he removed the twenty-dollar bill and stuck it into his folder, mentally making a note to be here again tomorrow with the next assignment for that class. Seeing Summers take his mark on the track next to the blonde guy who bought his English essays from him, Lance playfully toyed with the idea of a small earthquake. Reluctantly, he decided against it - Kitty would know he'd done it, and he had just began repairing the damage from the scoreboard incident. Not a good idea to shake things up now.

The whistle blew, and Scott surged forward, taking an early lead; out of the corner of his eye, he could see Duncan just behind him. Feeling a pleasant rush of adrenaline, he easily cleared the first hurdle, ignoring the pained cry from a boy further back who wasn't so lucky. His feet pounded against the hard rubber surface of the track, and he leapt over the next one, building up speed.

He could feel more than see Duncan pulling up beside him, and for three more jumps they were neck-and-neck, both panting and grunting as they struggled to outpace the other. Scott focused on the hurdles ahead - and beyond it, the finish line - deliberately ignoring the annoyance to his right.

The elbow to his stomach came as a compete shock.

Gasping pain as his breath deserted him, Scott's body moved him with the blow, sending him off the track and onto the grass. Covering his head just as he lost his footing, he fell to the ground, the unused momentum causing him to bounce painfully for several feet before finally landing on his back.

Groaning, he reached up to his face to feel for injuries and jerked his hand back in horror; his shades were gone! Squeezing his already shut eyes even tighter, he used one hand to cover them while using the other to desperately grope about in an attempt to find them.

Hank narrowed his eyes as he watched Duncan cross the finish line, a satisfied smirk on the boy's face. "Hit the showers, Matthews," He said cooly. "We don't play that kind of game here. You're off the team."

"But-"

"Go," Hank ordered with a glare, turning his back on the protesting boy and heading into the field.

On the other side of the track, Jean focused her still-burning rage as she hefted her javelin, bringing forth the memories of Ranma denying her what she deserved, Duncan and Scott fighting - everything and everyone that was upsetting her. Her skull thumped in time with her rapidly increasing heartbeat, and she felt several beads of sweat roll down her face. Hearing some exclamations and murmurs from the other side of the field, she turned to see Scott kneeling on the ground, apparently searching for something.

A sense of foreboding came over her; she was alone in this section of the field, too far away from anyone to hear any muttering. Blinking in confusion, the red-haired girl suddenly gasped in agony and clutched her head. Tears squeezed from her eyes as she tried to force the sudden voices out of her mind, each telepathically received word like a claw raking against her brain.

"No..." she whimpered, struggling to keep her own thoughts apart from the others. "No... eyes... darkness... stop, please!"

Scott stumbled around the grass on his hands and knees, desperately trying to find his glasses, jerking in surprise when he felt a hand suddenly touch his shoulder.

"Keep your eyes closed," A voice said quietly, the hand pulling him to his feet. Removing his hand, he felt the familiar feeling of his shades being slipped on his face. Opening his eyes, he blinked several times to readjust himself to the light, then again in surprise when he saw the face of Hank McCoy standing next to him.

"Coach?" he said questioningly, adjusting his glasses.

Hank smiled reassuringly. "Why don't you take a quick break," He advised, patting Scott on the shoulder - again, with more strength than necessary. "Okay!" The coach cheerfully bellowed to the rest of the field. "Who's running the 200?"

Rubbing his sore shoulder, Scott watched as the man walked away, not quite sure what to think of him; he seemed like a good guy, but it was apparent he knew more than he'd let on. The comment about keeping his eyes closed showed that plain enough.

Turning as a faint cry caught his ear, Scott forgot all about the pain in his rib; kneeling in the grass on the other side of the field was Jean, clutching her head with both hands and flailing about. Her cries of pain were broken by incoherent pleas and mutterings, but the brown-haired boy was too far away to make them out. No one else seemed to have noticed, the other athletes either having been distracted by the altercation with Duncan or forced to leave early due to not making the cut.

A javelin lying on the grass next to her suddenly lifted into the air, wobbling for a few moments before straightening out. It hung motionless for several seconds, then spun around and burst forward with a thin '_woosh_' of displaced air.

"Oh no..." Scott cursed. This was bad.

Leaning back in his seat, Lance grinned idiotically as he enjoyed the sight of five very fit young women taking their marks on the section of track directly in front of him. They were all worth looking at, but his eyes inevitably drifted towards Kitty, who was on the far end - and, unfortunately, the only one not wearing tight shorts. Not that it mattered; Kitty could wear an oversized parka and still be a smokin' babe.

A rush of motion caught his attention, and his eyes widened. Raising a hand, Lance grunted and pulled it forward sharply. The ground rumbled violently in response for several seconds, forcing the girls flat against the track, just in time to avoid being skewered by a speeding javelin.

The spear was still vibrating in the wooden base of the stands when the girls managed to push themselves back up. Seeing Kitty unhurt - although very shaken - he waved to her as she shot him a look. Pointing towards the javelin in response. then giving a small shrug, he grinned when he saw the thankful smile she sent him and waved it off as if it were nothing.

Jean was on her feet now, thrashing and stumbling about, her pained cries picking up in volume. All around her pieces of track equipment shuddered violently as she passed it. Scott ignored the pain in his ribs and raced towards her, panic trumping his own discomfort.

The redhead's stumbling path took her into the middle of the field where the shot put balls were still scattered about. A sharp cry escaped her throat, and all four shots were flung into the air with a speed no Olympic shot-putter could ever hope to match.

Hearing the shout, Hank turned around, worried that one of the students had hurt themselves. Seeing two large steel balls flying at him, he reacting instantly, bracing himself against the ground. With calculated precision, both hands came up just in time, each one easily grabbing one shot out of the air. Dropping them on the ground, Hank's eyes darted about to see if anyone had been hurt.

Leaping out of the way as a third ball flew straight towards him, Scott landed on hands, wincing as the pressure sent a burst of pain through his sore shoulder. Flipping himself back upright, he followed the shot puts path and grimaced; it was flying straight towards the head of a downcast Duncan Matthews. Without a second thought, he lifted his glasses and fired a beam of bright red concussive force. His aim struck true, catching the ball along the bottom curve and sending it high into the air; hopefully it wouldn't land anywhere there were people.

The shot flew through the air in a high arc, unnoticed by all until it crashed through a large window on the upper floor of the school. Seconds later a fearful cry erupted from the window, also unnoticed by all.

It wasn't too likely that would happen, though, Scott thought absently, closing the distance between himself and the screaming redheaded girl with all the speed he could muster. Her fingers were clawing at her head, pulling her hair out of the scrunchie that held it back, causing it to flail about as she thrashed her head.

"Jean!" He exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders as she fell to the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks. "What's wrong? Jean?"

"Scott," She whimpered, bending so low her forehead brushed against the grass; their gentle touch sent continued waves of agony through her skull. "Scott... Help. me! I-I-I can't- I can't stop them! They keep coming and coming and coming and coming!"

"What?" Scott asked, turning her to face him; she resisted, keeping her eyes shut and face towards the ground.. "What keeps coming, Jean? Is someone doing this to you?"

"I can't stop it," Jean shuddered, her nails now digging into her skull. "I can't I can't I can't I-"

With a faint whimper, the red-haired girl's eyes rolled up and she collapsed. Catching her, Scott stared at the the unconscious girl in horror. Looking up, he found small relief that the field seemed to be either deserted or blissfully unaware of what had happened. Kitty was hesitantly approaching them from behind, and further back Coach McCoy was looking on in concern, but aside from that, everyone seemed concerned with other things.

"What happened?" Kitty asked, crouching down next to them.

"I don't know," Scott said hoarsely as he stood up, gently sliding an arm under Jean's legs and cradling her in his arms. "But we need to get her to the mansion. Professor X and Dr. Tofu need to know about this."

"Right," Kitty said, giving Jean a worried look. Hefting Jean into his arms, Scott made a beeline for his car, the brown-haired girl behind him struggling to keep up.

"Hey," She asked suddenly, "What happened to that fourth shot?"

* * *

Waking up suddenly to a blurry, shaking world, Ryoga wondered if he'd fallen asleep on an active volcano again. The lack of heat and molten lava dismissed this possibility rather quickly, however, as did the face of a blonde girl that filled his vision.

"Wake up, dammit!" He heard the girl shouting, and suddenly realized that it was the same young woman he'd spent several days in pig form with. He flushed as memories of that time came back to him, and forced aside the mental images of long, smooth legs, silky skin, and- Why was she shaking him? "Wakey, wakey, freakin' eggs and baccy!"

"I don't eat bacon," Ryoga muttered. His head hit the ground with a dull thump as the girl suddenly let go of him in surprise.

"Hey, you're awake," She said with a bright smile. "Took long enough."

"Yeah," Ryoga said, grunting as he propped himself up into a sitting position. What was this girl's name again? "Uh... who are you, and why were you trying to wake me up?"

"I'm Tabitha, cutie," She replied with a bright smile, sitting down across from him. "And I was bored. Who are you, and whatcha doing sleeping in my backyard?"

"Uh... R-R-Ryoga." He answered, unnerved by the incredibly cute girl smiling at him. "I, uh, I was just, um-" He swallowed, struggling to regain his wits; why was he here? The brief conversation he'd had after the middle Tendo had splashed him with hot water earlier that day slowly trickled back into his head. "Uh, Nabiki a-asked me to stay-"

"In the backyard?"

"She told me not to leave this spot."

"That's kinda weird," Tabitha remarked, propping her chin in her hand and staring at the boy with a playful gaze; Ryoga tried to mentally will himself to pass out. It didn't work. 'Be true to sweet Akane, you fool!' He admonished himself, forcing his eyes closed as they drifted downwards of their own volition. "Y'know why?"

"I dunno," Ryoga admitted, suppressing a small shiver; he wasn't going to disobey Nabiki, but he didn't have to admit that. "But she, uh, asked me nicely."

"Right," Tabitha said, giving the boy a wry look "And why did she do that?"

Ryoga felt his ki flare uncontrollably as his embarrassment surged, a pale lavender aura springing up around him. Focusing, he forced his powers back under his control, - the raging blush on his cheeks, however, would not follow the same course.

"Ooo," Tabitha chirped. "That was so cool! No wonder my bombs didn't do anything! You're a mutant too!"

"Huh?" Ryoga blinked. "Uh, yeah, I guess I am." That was what that wheelchair guy and Magnus had said, after all - not that he trusted either of them. "What bombs?"

"I tried to blow you up a few times," The blonde replied airily. "No big deal."

"Oh," Ryoga said, waving the matter off; he'd gone through explosive-resistance training years ago, at the tender yet merciless hand of Great-Aunt Okito Hibiki, and he didn't see what the big deal was. "Whatever. I've been blown up lots of times." He closed his eyes and turned his chin up confidently. "Nothing hurts Ryoga Hibiki anymor-"

_sssssshhheeeeeeew-THUNK!_

Tabitha blinked as Ryoga suddenly toppled over, landing face-first on the grass. "Aw, man," She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched a large bump form on the back of his skull. "Why is it every time I meet an interesting guy, a shot put nails him in the back of the head?

* * *

Rapidly skimming his eyes across the readouts on the screen, Tofu quickly decided they were worthless. Turning away form the equipment, the doctor looked over to the pigtailed boy lying on one of the two metal tables in the center of the room with a curious gaze. The room they were in was a relatively small one, but capable of holding all the residents of the mansion, provided they were willing to accept personal space limitations. Two walls held computers and other equipment, while the others had doorways - one that led into the rest of the sub-basement, and the other to the main infirmary and recovery rooms. A scanner hung from the ceiling, attached by a complicated system of mechanical arms and actuators that Tofu didn't understand at all; his expertise was with the equipment attached to it.

It wasn't often that he had the chance to use on of the mansions advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities - not that he was complaining, of course - but in Ranma's case, it was necessary. He couldn't use his psiagnosis - which didn't mean anything, but he thought it had a nice ring to it - to determine if anything was wrong, so the next best option was the equipment in this room.

And by all the information the advanced machinery was able to obtain, the boy was beyond the picture of health, which was no doubt the result of his mutant rapid adaptation abilities.

"He is just tired, I am suspecting."

"He don't look tired, dummy, he looks like he's been in a brawl!"

Rogue and Kurt had brought the boy in several minutes ago, the former looking anxious while the latter hoped that the circumstances would justify his having teleported. Tofu had brought the boy here immediately, the other two following behind, and had yet to make any determinations as to which of them was right. There were no bruises or cuts, and the lone scrape on one his arms indicated that while he had fallen down, was no concrete evidence of an attacker - although Tofu did not rule it out. Ranma never simply "fell down".

The lack of any kind of visible malady or internal problem meant only one thing - the cause was spiritual. Ignoring the escalating debate between Rogue and Kurt, Tofu moved to Ranma's side and with a deep breath, removed his glasses.

Opening his eyes again, Tofu focused on Ranma, looking through the boy's outward appearance and into his inner workings. Looking past the organs and muscles and skeletal structure, the doctor's sight left the physical world with a wrenching jolt into the spiritual realm. It wasn't a power he enjoyed using - it turned everything he saw into a Magic Eye picture collaborated on by MC Escher and Pablo Picasso - but it allowed him to see what even the best medical technology could not.

Focusing directly on Ranma's ki, Tofu quickly identified the problem; his life energy was moving too slowly. The pigtailed boy's body required a lot of energy to maintain, and from the look of it, nearly every scrap had been used, leaving him with only enough to keep his body working. He simply did not have enough left to attain consciousness.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Tofu closed his eyes - which didn't help much, as he could see through his own eyelids - rubbing the bridge of his nose and willing his vision back to normal. Something had forced him to use a massive amount of ki in a brief period of time, shifting his body into a sort of 'sleep mode' until his energy had restored itself - a process that was already well underway. And, making an educated guess, the doctor believed that Ranma's mutant powers were already adapting his body to recover from such a thing at a faster rate.

"Good news," Tofu said, putting his glasses back on. "Ranma is going to be fine, he merely-"

"Ah know it wasn't Ryoga 'cause Ah just know!"

"Then who did it? You still have not answered this!"

"It was Jean!"

"Why would Jean do this? That does not make any sense!"

"She's been actin' really weird around him lately!"

"That proves nothing."

_SLAM! _"DOCTOR!"

Tofu started as the door slammed open, cutting off the argument and admitting Scott and Kitty into the examination room. In the boy's arms was a familiar unconscious redhead. "Put her on the other table," He said quickly, directing the tall boy to the empty metal table next to Ranma. "Tell me what happened."

"I don't know," Scott said, obviously trying to reign in his panic. "Her powers were going nuts, throwing stuff all over the place! She said something about eyes and then fell unconscious."

"Hey, what happened to Ranma?" Tofu heard Kitty ask.

"Probably the same thing that happened t'Jean," Rogue muttered.

"He's fine," Tofu said, not turning around as he lifted one of the prone girl's eyelids; no sign of concussion from her pupils, and his psiagnosis wasn't picking up anything medical. This was most unusual. "His ki has merely been overused, and his body needs time to replenish it. I don't know what's wrong with Jean," He added, looking over at Scott. "But whatever it is, it's not medical. You said something about her powers?"

"Yeah, it was like they were out of her control." Scott replied. "But that's impossible, isn't it? Jean's the best one here at controlling her abilities..."

"Regardless," Tofu continued, turning away from the girl and heading towards the door. "If this has to do with her powers, then it is out of my realm of experience. This is something the professor is more apt to be able to handle. Everyone, come with me."

"Ah ain't goin' nowhere," Rogue protested, crossing her arms and giving Jean a seething glare.

"Yes you are," Tofu ordered, swinging the door open. "First of all, because Professor X needs to know about this "weirdness" you mentioned as well as what you know about what might have happened to Ranma, and second, because this is my infirmary and I said so."

"But-"

"These two need their rest," Tofu interrupted, a hard edge coming into his voice. "And I will accept no arguments to the contrary."

"Fine," Rogue muttered, clenching her fists at her side. Giving Jean one final glare, and Ranma one final look of concern, she followed the others out of the room, the heavy door slamming shut behind them. Footsteps retreated down the hall, and the room was bathed in silence.

Several seconds passed, and a soft click sounded as the door locked itself.

The lights flickered, and a pair of glazed green eyes snapped open. In a smooth motion, Jean rose at the waist, turning to fix her expressionless gaze on the unconscious boy only a few feet away. Her eyes turned to steel, and she cast them slowly around the room.

The camera near the ceiling exploded. They were alone now, and he was too weak to escape. Alone, except for the eyes.

A null would make the eyes go away. They would leave her in peace after she felt it's exquisite touch, banished again to the deepest recesses of her consciousness. Staring intently at Ranma, Jean narrowed her gaze and lashed out with her mind, striking against his immunity with enough force to turn a normal human comatose.

The shield held firm.

Forcing her mind against his, the redhead increased the power, not noticing as small objects in the room began rising into the air. She pushed harder, the telepathic equivalent of a battering ram pounding against his immunity, send psychic shock waves through the room and beyond. The Professor would likely feel them, and possibly Tofu; she didn't have much time before they would arrive.

Ranma's mind refused to budge. The eyes narrowed as she reeled back and struck again; silently, the harsh yellow orbs encouraged her.

Her features remained expressionless as her mind flailed tirelessly at the pigtailed boy's, pumping more and more power into the task. More objects began circling around her, orbiting the girl with increasing speed as more force was put into her attacks.

The shield strained. Ranma began twitching fitfully in his sleep.

Unrelenting, Jean pushed against the immunity, forcing her powers beyond their absolute limits. Monitors shattered and equipment groaned as they were pulled into the developing maelstrom that circled around the redhead, resembling an exponentially powerful cyclone of psychic energy. Her mind slammed against his unceasingly with the psychic equivalent of a class-five hurricane, wave after wave of power crashing against the straining mental shield.

Ranma let out an unconscious groan, and Jean doubled her efforts; she had to break through before he woke up.

She could feel his mind straining against her attacks, and she bared her teeth in a merciless smile. Any moment now, and the barrier would break. The eyes watched eagerly.

With a crack that resonated through the astral plane, Ranma's psychic immunity burst open, exposing his mind to any who desired access to it's bounty. Momentarily staggered by the force, Jean ignored the psychic backlash pushing onward, forcing the breach wider with mental jaws of life as she dove in.

Her entry was met by thousands of golden eyes, glowing with malicious light. Ranma's eyes snapped open, his pupils slitted and angry yellow.

"MMMRRROWWW!"

* * *

"Gyaah!"

"Professor?" Scott said, turning around to look at the wheelchair-bound mentor. They had found him in his study, and were in the midst of filling him in on the details as they headed back to the infirmary when he suddenly cried out. The older man was currently clutching his head, his eyes and jaw clenched in pain. "What is it?"

"Some kind - of psychic backlash," Xavier replied, not stopping his own motion even as the pain lanced through his skull a second time. "It's - coming from Jean!"

Everyone exchanged worried glances at the statement, and without another thought, Rogue and Scott sprinted down the hall, their companions struggling to catch up.

"Ah knew we shoulda nevah have left her alone with 'im," Rogue growled, narrowing her eyes at the large door at the end of their path.

"What would she want with Ranma?" Scott shot back, removing his shades and slipping on the spare visor he carried with him. "She can't get into his mind anyway - it's probably just her powers going nuts again."

"Think whatevah ya want, visor boy," the girl snapped. "I'm goin' with mah gut on this."

Skidding to a halt at the door, Rogue grabbed for the handle and tugged, only to find the door unwilling to budge. "It ain't openin'!" She declared angrily, beating her fists against it as the remaining X-Men caught up with them. On the other side they could hear sounds of violence and destruction.

"I got a key," Scott replied, raising a hand to the aperture switch of his visor. Everyone else took a step back - Kitty and Kurt having to drag Rogue away by the arms - and unconsciously slipped into ready positions.

Scott glared at the door, quickly calculating the right angle and amount of force needed to break through the tough metal plating; too little power wouldn't do enough, and too much could injure them and the people inside if aimed improperly. Not to mention an incorrect calculation could set off the alarms and send the Institute into Defcon...

_clang-skCRAASH! _"Rrrrrowwwwwwwll!"

Taking an involuntary step back, Scott's hand remained on his visor, the eyes behind it going wide as they witnessed a familiar figure stepping out of the dust. A familiar figure in a very unfamiliar pose.

Slit green eyes glared back at him, and full red lips pulled back into a hiss. Hunched forward on four long, whipcord strong limbs, Jean took a challenging step forward, the hair of her ponytail standing on end.

"What the..." Scott trailed off, taking in the sight of the girl's ripped track uniform; beneath it he could see several shallow yet bloody cuts.

"Okay.." Kurt said nervously. "This is very unexpected..."

A red-and-black blur passed over the redhead, causing the girl to hiss angrily. Moving too fast to be seen clearly, the X-Men watched as the blur ricocheted off thewall and bounded down the hallway.

Another angry hiss sounded, and Scott let out a yelp as he was swatted out of the way and into the wall; the others had only this as warning to clear the hall, just barely managing to get out of the way of the insane redhead. Rogue darted into the room the moment the path was clear.

"What the hell was that?" Scott groaned, his voice muffled from his spot embedded in the wall. "And 'ow did Jean hit so hard?"

"This is bad... very, very bad," Tofu muttered darkly, taking off after the redhead.

"Ah can't find Ranma!" Rogue fretted, stepping out of the room. "The entire room is trashed, and he ain't in there!"

"Maybe that blur vas Ranma?" Kurt offered, letting out a yelp as Rogue raced past him and after Tofu. "Apparently she is in agreement..."

"Scott," Xavier said, moving to the boys side as Kitty helped to extricate him from the wall. "Are you all right?"

The boy nodded briefly. "Don't worry about me," he said. "What's wrong with Jean, where did she go?"

Placing his hands to his temples, Xavier closed his eyes and sent out a mental probe to the young telepath, only to flinch in pain as his probe was literally shredded to pieces. "I can't tell you right now, Scott," He replied hesitantly, shaken by the ruthless mental counter. "But I am certain that it has quite a lot to do with Ranma."

"Right," Scott said, sharing a glance with Kurt and Kitty. "Let's go!"

Watching the three run down the hall in pursuit, Xavier sighed and sent his mind to Tofu; it would be far to difficult to catch up with them on his own, and regardless, he could get information with other means. Reaching the doctor's mind, the professor quickly established a temporary link, hoping the other man didn't find it too invasive.

**'It's the neko-ken,' **The doctor said immediately, preempting Xavier's question. **'I don't know how, but he's somehow gone into that mental state without even being near a cat!'**

**'And he's somehow taken Jean with him,' **Xavier replied, rubbing his chin in thought as his students disappeared from his view. **'But that could only happen if she was deep inside his mind when the cat took over...'**

**'Shouldn't that be impossible?'**Tofu asked, his mental voice seemingly out of breath; had they run that much in so short a time? **'The telepathic immunity-'**

**'Is not an immunity,**_**' **_Xavier interrupted with a sigh; he had an hypothesis, and he didn't like it one bit. **'Not entirely.'

* * *

  
**

Propping his chin on his gloved fist, Logan stared at his hoagie with an expression of the purest, undistilled boredom.

It wasn't the hoagie's fault; the sandwich was perfect, as well as exceptionally delicious. Rather, it was the reason he was eating the hoagie instead of doing something else that had Logan irate.

"Bored," He muttered to himself, glaring at the hoagie as he snatched it off the table. "Bored outta my skull. Ain't nothin' to do around here anymore!"

Taking a savage bite out of his sandwich, Logan chewed angrily has his thoughts wandered. He had no one to train right now, the younger students currently off being kids instead of X-Men trainees and the older off who-knows-where doing who-knew what. Not that he would have any training sessions for them if they were around - there didn't seem to be much time for his "classes" lately. All of which meant there was one less method of relieving anger available.

So instead of bestowing both knowledge and injury upon the next generation of mutants, Logan sat in the kitchen, eating a hoagie. He had his uniform on, in the off-chance that someone came to him, asking to be put through a vicious Danger Room session; it hadn't happened yet.

This wouldn't have meant quite so much if he could at least get a good fight in on occasion. Which hadn't happened in a week, at least! No Buckethead, no Sage, no Juggernaut - not even a lousy Brotherhood attack! He'd gone to a bar last night, purposely destroyed the jukebox, put a cigar out on the pool table, insulted everyone and their mothers, and what had they done in response?

They'd laughed. They'd laughed and bought him a round. Bought him several rounds. Several rounds of the really good stuff.

It was incredibly frustrating; he had a can of Logan's Special, Full-Bodied Whupass ready for the last week and a half, and no one had shown up with a can opener.

Ripping another section off of his sandwich, Logan got out of his seat, unable to sit still. He needed an outlet, needed some excitement, some danger! Staring up at the ceiling, he shook his sandwich threateningly at any deity that might have been watching, sending globules of mayo and shreds of tuna fish around the room. "C'mon already! Shake things up a bit!"

_BOOM!ssscCRRAACKESHHS! _"Rrrrowwwrrr-hissss!"

Logan grinned, taking a triumphant bite out of the hoagie. "Ask and ye shall receive," he said to himself, unsheathing the claws of his free hand and charging out the door.

Landing in a crouch in the hall, Logan pointed the sandwich threateningly towards the blurred figure speeding towards him. "Hold it right there bu-uurk!"

Grunting in pain as he was slammed face-first into the ground by a pair of sneakers against the back of his head. Growling, Logan sprung to his feet again, clutching his sandwich like a spear. "Hey, pigtail!" He bellowed. "What the hell do ya thi-"

"Mwroowr!"

A large object landed on him briefly, with what felt like nearly two dozen small blades pressing into his back and shoulders. Less than a second later, Logan once again found himself heading for a second meeting with the floor. He could feel blood trickling down his back just before the gouges in his flesh sealed over; in one corner of his mind, he realized his sandwich was gone.

Not willing to stand up again until he knew for certain that nothing else was going to run him over, Logan tentatively lifted his head, just in time to see Jean dash around the corner.

On all fours.

With his sandwich in her mouth.

Staring dumbfounded at the empty-space the girl had just run through, Logan sniffed at the air; smelled like... cats? "What the hell?" He muttered, rolling over and propping himself up on his elbows, blinking several times; he would have stood up, but he had the sneaking suspicion that the moment he did, he'd be on the floor again.

Logan's eyes bugged out as a head of long brown hair and blue eyes popped out of his chest.

"Hey Logan," Kitty said hurriedly, looking past him and down the hall. "Did Jean or Ranma run by here?"

Silently, the man jerked a thumb in the direction both had gone in.

"Thanks!" Kitty exclaimed, sinking back into the floor. A second late she popped out again, her entire body following this time, and dragging Tofu and Rogue out of the floor with her. "This way!" She shouted, taking off down the hall; Scott and Kurt ported in a moment later, joining the chase and again leaving Logan alone on the floor.

"I had to say it," The man muttered, rising to his feet and brushing the dust off himself; his stomach rumbled and he cast a glare down the hall. Figures he'd get hungry _after_ his sandwich had been stolen. "Ah, hell," Logan groaned, giving his neck a quick crack before heading after the others. "No one get's away with stealin' my sandwich!"

* * *

Gulping down the last of the delicious meat she had snatched from the paws of the two-leg, Jean refocused herself on her pursuit of the He. The dark-furred He had managed to escape her sight at the moment, but his scent was still strong, and she could hear his soft pawsteps against the fuzzy scratchable floor in the next room.

Stalking slowly towards the door, her red fur standing on end, Jean pounced into the room, hissing angrily at the black-furred He. The other cat hissed back at her, flexing his claws threateningly against the edge of the long four-legged two-leg furniture. Not letting his act of aggression deter her, Jean hissed again and leaped, swiping at him with her bright red claws.

The He jumped back, yowling as it barely managed to swipe. Hissing again in response, the He jumped off the scratching perch and bounded out of the room like a frightened large-eared furry morsel.

"Mrrooow," Jean laughed, giving chase; she had him on the run now, but she would catch that He and show him who the alpha was.

* * *

His black fur standing on end as he raced into the large front chamber of the two-leg lair, Ranma hissed at the aggressive red-furred She behind him. He wasn't one to back down from a challenge for dominance, but the She had managed to startle him back in the scratching room, and something about her had set him on edge immediately.

Bounding up the stairs with several large leaps, Ranma split around the corner and up the next flight, knocking down everything he could to delay his pursuer. He would fight this aggressive She, but he would do it on his own terms, in a place of his choosing. It was his right as alpha to do so.

Ranma hissed and bristled at the brown-furred two-leg she that suddenly appeared out of the floor. Since when could two-legs do that? Darting around her, he ignore the noises she made, taking the next flight of stairs he saw. He thought he could smell familiar ground at the top.

The lack of familiarity the terrain held was a bit unnerving, however; the She seemed to have a much better idea of the paths throughout the lair, and thus held the advantage over him. He'd seen no sign of the short-haired two-leg that had always been around before, nor of the hated fat unfurred two-leg. It was clear he was out of his own territory, but so was the red-furred She. This territory had yet to be claimed, and he was determined to make it his.

* * *

Yelling after Ranma as he raced past her, Kitty was about to give chase when she spotted Jean racing up the stairs on all fours, teeth bared in an angry hiss. Glowing red claws sliced through the carpet as the redhead came to a stop, lurching sideways in challenge to the brown-haired girl.

Recognizing the posture from her own cat back home - and nervously eyeing the strange telekinetic claws - Kitty made herself flat against the wall, smiling anxiously at the slitted green eyes as her heart pounded against her chest. Seeing Evan poke his head out of his room, she shook her head, mouthing the words 'Don't. Move.' The boy wisely followed the command, his eyes now locked in surprise on Jean.

Jean stalked past her, sending an obvious message that she was not to be messed with before suddenly darting again down the hall.

Kitty released a sigh of relief as Jean followed Ranma up to the top floor, her heart slowly resuming its normal pace as Tofu and her fellow students came up the stairs. "They went up to the third floor," Kitty said, pointing to the stairs as she rejoined the pursuit. "Jean's got some really weird, telekineticky claws or something."

"Would someone mind tellin' me what's goin' on?" Logan growled; Kitty blinked. The older man must have joined the others after she had separated from them.

"Yeah," Evan agreed, coming out of his room. "Why was Jean acting so weird?"

"Tofu says its the Neko-ken," Scott replied, lifting a hand to his visor as they came to the top of the stairs. The small staircase that led to Ororo's room/greenhouse was covered in claw marks, the door ripped completely from it's hinges and lying on the floor in three large segments. "Although why Jean is affected by it-"

"She was in Ranma's mind when he snapped," Tofu interrupted, slowly approaching the stairs.

"How?" Rogue demanded. "Ranma's immune to psychics, ain't he?"

"Not completely," Tofu muttered, holding an arm out to block the others as they tried to race up into the greenhouse. "You ever been attacked by a surprised cat?" he admonished. "The Professor has the theory that Ranma's powers turned his ailurophobia into an impossibly strong mental shield as a defense against telepaths."

The others shared a disbelieving look, and Tofu sighed. "Look, it's theory, and is it really all that important right now?" He asked quickly. "Ranma has foot-long razor sharp ki claws while under the neko-ken, and it appears as if Jean has made the same with her telekinesis. They could easily kill each other if we don't do something to stop them."

"The doc is right," Logan agreed, pulling his mask over his face as the group slowly approached Ororo's room; sounds of hissing and breaking glass could be heard from inside. "Reasons can wait 'til those two stop actin'' screwy."

* * *

Pouncing on the arrogant He, Jean yowled angrily as he managed to kick her off of him and into a large green leafy thing. Contorting herself in the air, Jean landed on her paws with a hiss, shaking off the vine that had wrapped around her forepaw.

Taking a second to scratch a sudden itch on her side, Jean hissed a challenge at the other cat, daring him to close in with her. The black-furred He glared at her, swiping a paw towards a tall brown thing with large leaves at the top. His claws sliced easily through the plant, sending it falling towards her in four large segments. She easily leaped out of the way, using the cover of the leaves to strike at him again.

An angry purr erupted in her throat as the He suddenly vanished. Sniffing the air, she managed to avoid a clawless swipe at her flank. Leaping into the air, she surprised him by wrapping her paws around his neck, pulling him in close and lashing out with her back paws to his underbelly; she kept her lower claws sheathed, of course. Killing him was unnecessary.

The He wasn't willing to submit so easily; hissing, he bit her in the neck, causing Jean to yowl in pain and release her hold. Landing on all fours several feet away, she glared at the He as he wet a paw and began cleaning her blood from his jaw. Her nape was bleeding, but it was a superficial wound.

"Rrrowwl," The He threatened, arching his back. Jean flinched as he suddenly loomed over her, stalking slowly. Hissing, she did the same, matching his size and causing him to start. They stared at each other for some time, noting with disinterest as several two-legs entered the room, making their nonsensical noises to each other. She'd whip them into submission later; first she had to deal with the upstart He.

The He's nose twitched suddenly, and he turned his head to look at the two-leg with the white streak in her fur. "Mrow?"

Jean didn't need any other opening; with a furious hiss she darted forward, swinging her paws around the He and rolling him over, slamming him against the ground and kicking him in the underbelly. The black-furred He spat in anger, raking his foreclaws against the floor, trying to use his greater strength to throw her off. Jean held fast, pounding at him with her lower paws and sinking her teeth repeatedly into his neck.

She could hear one of the two-legs yelling her name, and suddenly both she and the He were struck by a solid red not-sun light, separating them and sending her flying into the wall. She twisted against the momentum and struck the wood paneling paws-first, digging her claws in angrily and hissing.

The He cat wasn't so lucky; the force of the strange not-sun light sent him flying into one of the clear-yet-solid walls, shattering it with the impact. The He yowled in pain and fury as he went through, soon falling out of sight. The two-legs with the streaked fur cried out in horror.

Jean spun on the two-legs and spat angrily. How dare they! How dare they ruin her chances to take the mantle of alpha from the arrogant He! How dare they butt into her challenge, ruining her chances to force the He into submission? Narrowing her slitted green eyes, she focused her gaze on the interfering two-legs, gaining little pleasure as they withdrew from her ever-so-slightly.

Jean hissed, stalking closer to the group of two-legs, arcing her back to increase her size; sensing that it wasn't enough, she rose to her back paws, stepping forward slowly. The two-legs with the single eye said something, stepping forward and holding out a hand. Jean spat, swiping at him with her claws; they didn't connect, but the two-legs cried out as he flew into the wall.

Her ears twitched as she heard the shattered pieces of the clear-yet-solid wall rise into the air behind. She snorted and paid them no mind, focusing on the two-legs.

The blue-furred two-legs suddenly vanished, the acrid smell of his departure flooding her senses. Hissing as she heard the same noise behind her, Jean spun around and swatted her paws at the blue-furred one, delighting in the yelp of fear he made as he was flung towards the hole the He had fallen through. Another strange noise and smell and he was hanging from the not-sun light on the top wall.

The older two-legs she had taken the meat from ran at her, his own claws raised as if to strike. Spitting, Jean leaped over him, landing on his back and sinking her teeth into Logan's neck. Logan? What did that mean? His name, she realized; two-legs had them too, apparently.

"MmmmrrrooooWWW!" She screamed as Logan-two-legs grabbed her by the fur and threw her into the wall. She struck hard, not having time to adjust herself in-flight. Jean hissed angrily and rose again to her back paws. Paws? No, those were feet.

Staring at the large two-legs with malice, her hair - hair? Didn't she have fur? - rose, whipping through the air violently. Several planks of wood uprooted themselves from the floor and began rapidly circling her. Her claws came unsheathed, glowing an angry red, eager to spill the two-legs blood for this insult. Two-legs? Her head throbbed painfully.

Leaves ripped off the trees, joining the wood and glass that had begun to spin around her. Letting out a wild howl, Jean felt herself rising into the air, the swirling maelstrom rising with her and expanding outward. Fear began to rise in the pit of her stomach; what was going on? She raised her paws to her head, staring at them in quiet surprise. Claws? Where did those come from?

"aaaaaAAAAHHHH!" The shriek escaped Jean's throat before she even realized, her hands reaching up to her head. The remaining windows shattered, the metal frames and shards of glass tearing through the plants as they too joined the whirlwind of psychic power. Jean's skull felt like it was being torn in two, ripped to shreds.

"JEAN!" She heard Scott yelling frantically, his words suddenly making sense again; why hadn't they before? How did she even get here?

"SCOTT!" She yelled back, the sound of her own voice lost in the cyclone around her. Her mind throbbed in agony, the need for a null pulsing with it. **'GET RANMA!'**

"WHAT DOES SHE WANT RANMA FOR?" Rogue cried out, ducking as a potted planted was swept into the air. The light fixture above her suddenly burst, followed in rapid clockwise succession by the rest, sending more glass into the air. The room grew darker, the only light now coming from the setting sun outside.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Scott replied, gritting his teeth as he tried to make his way through the maelstrom. Jean was in pain, and that was all that mattered. Dropping to the floor as a chunk of wood whipped over his head, he raised a hand to his visor and fired a blast of concussive force, obliterating one of Ororo's prized orchids.

"Man!" He heard Evan yell beside him. "Auntie O is going to be pissed with us when she gets back!"

"Not the time to be worried about that!" Tofu said, locking his eyes on the floating chaos that was Jean Grey. "We have to help her! Her powers are out of control!"

"How?" Scott yelled back. The sprinklers in the ceiling suddenly exploded, adding rain to the localized hurricane the room had become.

**'I NEED RANMA!' **Jean's mental voice shot through the minds of the X-Men like a fiery lance.

**'WHY?!' **Scott thought back at her, gritting is teeth as he tried to pull himself forward along the floor, made all the more difficult by the slick surface the water had turned it into. **'WHAT DO YOU NEED RANMA FOR?'**

**'NULL,' **He heard Jean reply, the feeling of abject pleasure and desire dripping from the word.

"What the hell is a null?" He shouted at the others, his voice almost drowned out by the creaking of the walls as they began curving outward. He gulped at the sheer force of Jean's telekinesis as the plaster began tearing from the walls and disintegrating into a fine mist.

"How should Ah know?" Rogue snapped back, inwardly seething. Whatever a 'Null' was, it was something that Jean and Ranma had secret between the two of them. After she ripped this crazy bitches hair out, she was going to have to have a long, serious talk with her man.

She grit her teeth as a large piece of plaster struck her in the thigh; assuming she survived this, of course.

"Forget about it," Tofu shouted, grunting as he dug his fingers into the floor, slowly pulling himself forwards inch by inch against the physical manifestation of Jean's madness. "Listen, if someone can get me close enough, I can knock her out!"

"How?" Kitty asked, her arms wrapped around the trunk of a tree that had miraculously managed to avoid being sucked in. A shriek escaped her throat as the miracle ended, the large plant suddenly shredding itself in her grip as it flew towards one of the shattered windows, taking the brown-haired girl with it.

'Ohmygodohmygodohmygod,' Kitty squeezed her eyes tight in fear as she saw the ground rapidly approaching. She struggled to remain calm, aware in some corner of her mind that she could phase through any impact, but the panic overwhelmed any rational thought. The sudden smell of sulphur and the reassuring arm that looped around her waist did little to calm her fear. The sudden feeling of displacement she had come to associate with teleportation came over her, and she opened her eyes to find herself back in the center of Hurricane Jean.

"KURT!" Scott yelled, an idea beginning to form in his mind as he blasted an incoming fern. "Grab Tofu and port over to Jean!"

"Cahn't!" The blue-furred boy replied. "There is too much debris flying around her! I time it wrong and some of it could end up inside of me!"

"Then don't time it wrong, elf!" Logan growled, slashing apart the large chunk of floor that had suddenly uprooted underneath him.

"Zat is easy for you to s-oof!" Kurt groaned as a small potted plant struck him in the back of the head. He removed his arm from Kitty's waist to rub at the small lump that had quickly formed, absurdly noting Ranma's impact-resistance training was paying off.

"I can get him there!" Kitty declared, inwardly berating herself for what had happened only seconds earlier. "Kurt, port me and Doctor Tofu to the other side of her!"

"Jean'll stop you if you get too close!" Evan shouted back.

"Then you guys had so better make sure she doesn't!"

"Right!" Scott nodded, firing a blast directly at the redhead in the center of the chaos. "Logan, Evan, you're with me!"

"What should Ah do?" Rogue demanded, not liking how she had been automatically shunted to the sidelines. She might not be much use in this plan, but a large part of her wanted to take a piece out of the telepath.

"Go find Ranma and make sure he's alright!" Tofu replied, grasping Kitty's hand as the girl ported to his side with Kurt. Contact established, the trio quickly teleported behind Jean.

With a sharp nod, Rogue released her grip on the door frame and let herself get swept out of the room. With a grunt, she twisted herself in mid-air, landing feet-first against the wall outside. Dropping to the floor, she raced down the stairs. 'Time for a certain pigtailed boyfriend ta start givin' me some answers...'

Back inside the room, Evan watched as Scott and Logan blasted and slashed at the whirlwind of debris, wondering how in the hell he was supposed to help; any spikes he fired would only add to the peril. Grimacing, he focused inward, grunting as a ripple went over his body and large plates of bone sprouted out of his back. More emerged along his arms and face, creating a horned helmet around his cranium, while smaller spikes grew out of his feet, punching through his shoes - another thing Auntie O would be upset about.

Pushing himself to his feet - and pleased to find the added weight combined with the tread-spikes making it easier to keep his footing - Evan lowered his head and charged into the fray, swinging his armour-clad fists and shattering chunks of plaster and wood.

'**I WANT RANMA!'** Jean's furious mental voice raged throughout the minds of the X-Men. A wave of psychic force thrust against Scott, throwing off his aim and causing his optic beams to carve a large chunk out of the ceiling before he managed to release the aperture switch on his visor.

Rolling to the side, he barely managed to avoid being crushed by the heavy chunks of glass and steel that rained down. Rising into a crouch, he took aim at Jean again, firing through the raging insanity.

On the other side of the room, hidden behind the remains of a large potted golden pothos, Tofu eyed Jean for a moment, nodded to Kurt and looked over at the brown-haired girl next to him. "Ready?" he asked.

"Ready!" She replied determinedly, pounding a fist against her palm. Grabbing at the doctor's wrist, Kitty focused herself, clearing her mind of all fear and slipping into the walking meditation Ranma had taught her. Steeling herself, she broke into a run, heading directly for Jean; the quickest path was always a straight line.

Tofu gulped as he witnessed a large shard of glass pass straight through him, coming out the other side and leaving him without a scratch. This was a very strange, unpleasant sensation he did not want to experience often.

Weaving through the flying objects with grace she didn't know she had, Kitty focused on keeping Tofu from being struck, only phasing herself when absolutely necessary. Swinging around a cloud of broken glass and leaping over spinning chunks of wood paneling, the brown haired girl slowly brought the cargo to the target.

* * *

Hissing at nothing in particular, Ranma glared at the broken clear-yet-solid wall that was quickly falling out of sight. That red not-sun light had hurt, and the clear-yet-solid wall had hurt even more. He had been just about ready to show that upstart She who was the alpha in these parts, and those clawless two-legs had the gall to interfere!

Twisting in mid-air, Ranma landed easily on all four paws and stuck his nose in the air, turning his tail on the two-legs lair. He was still alpha, and that's what mattered; if the red-furred She wanted to challenge him again, let her! Until then, he had better things to do.

His ears twitched suddenly, and Ranma rose his head in curiosity; sniffing the air, he cocked his head. Squinting his eyes, he thought he could make out a small group of two-legs at the other side of the springy green stuff. Yawning, Ranma began walking in a circle, disregarding the two-legs in favour of a nap; there was just enough sun left to warm himself under...

His nose suddenly twitched, and Ranma's head rose again. Narrowing his eyes, he noticed movement in the grass several feet away. Slinking low to the ground, Ranma became perfectly still, his hindquarters raising slightly into the air. There was something there, something small and furry and undoubtedly delicious.

The small furry thing stopped moving, raising it's head into the air; Ranma didn't move, didn't make a sound as the tiny morsel sniffed the air cautiously and moved several feet away. Sniffing again, it returned to the ground, nibbling at something Ranma couldn't see.

His prey now completely unaware, Ranma pounced.

* * *

"Oh come on!" Rahne said, placing her hands on her hips as she stared at her friends with irritation. "Do ye really wanna spend the wee bit o' free time we get doin' nothin'?"

"Yep," Sam replied lazily, spitting a couple of sunflower seeds into the air. He gave Amara a bashful grin as one of them landed on her forehead, which she flicked away with a deadpan eye.

"Ye are all hopeless," She huffed. "This would be the perfect time t'practice that which Mr. Ranma showed ye this mornin'! Get a leg-up on t'morrow's session!"

"Look, Rahne," Ray said, lifting his head lazily from where he was lying on the grass. Spread around were the rest of the younger students, enjoying the few hours of leisure time they were given each day. "Just because you got a thing for Ranma doesn't mean-"

"I do not!" Rahne growled, clenching her fists tightly and pouting fiercely at her friends. Despite her best efforts, a bright red flush suffused her face and caused Jamie to fall over laughing, splitting into three identical copies as he struck the ground.

Sitting on the stone wall that lines the path leading through the yard, Jubilee blew a large bubble of bright pink gum as Bobby shook his head. "Rahne," he began, "Ranma may be too dumb to notice how much you want him -" Rahne flushed a deeper red, glaring at the unaware boy "- but we're not."

"We are so not that dumb," Jubilee interjected, rolling her eyes behind her reflective shades.

"Regardless," Bobby continued, taking a bite out of his sandwich. "That's completely beside the point. This is our leisure time, and I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say it would be much better spent-"

A sudden brown blur from the side caught Jubilee's eye, and she tilted her head curiously to see what was coming up from behind Bobby.

"-doing something other tha- WHAT THE HELL?!" Bobby shouted as he was knocked off the wall, landing face-first in his tuna-fish sandwich. Blinking a piece of celery out of his eye, he lifted his head to see a foot-long gopher running away from him at full tilt, a charging Ranma in excited pursuit. A charging Ranma, he noticed, that for some reason was yowling and running on all fours...

"Well," Amara said, her head tilted to the side in confusion as her eyes followed chase. "This is certainly new."

"Whatever," Jubliee scoffed, blowing another bubble as they tore off through the yard, circling the assembled students several times. "I swear, if that's what that idiot is planning to train us on next, he's getting some pretty-pretty fireworks between the eyes."

"He's actin' like a cat..." Ray muttered. "Rahne, why is he acting like a cat?"

"I dinnae think I can give ye an answer t'that," The Scottish girl said calmly, the hair on the back of her neck rising slightly as she watched the chase; he looked to be having a lot of fun...

"He just destroyed a tree without even touching it." Ray continued. "Rahne, how is he doing that?"

"Again," Rahne said, feeling an itch in her legs as Ranma pounced at the gopher, the tiny quadruped just barely managing to escape. "I dinnae think I know th'answer t'that."

"Maybe..." Roberto said slowly, his eyes following their running combat instructor and his fearful prey. "Maybe this is a new training exercise?"

"Right..." Amara said doubtfully. "What possibly useful training could we get out of this?" She gestured to where Ranma was looking around bewildered, unaware that the gopher was hanging for dear life from his pigtail, just out of sight.

"No, I mean it," Roberto continued, his tone gaining a measure of confidence. "Ranma has told us all the time that martial arts is to be used to defend those that can't defend themselves, right?"

Everyone stared at him blankly; Rahne felt a stab of pity for the poor boy as disbelieving comprehension dawned in their collective housemates eyes. Catching a glance of Ranma out of the corner of her eye, she felt an impossibly strong yearning in her limbs, the wolf inside her eager to assist her alpha. She shook her head and squashed the notion down, but her eyes never left the gopher, now fleeing in terror as Ranma had apparently discovered it's impromptu hiding place.

"You're saying," Bobby said slowly, his voice indicating that he was saying quite possibly the last thing he'd ever expected to. "That we're s'posed to protect that _gopher_ from from our combat instructor?"

"It's not that crazy!" The Brazilian boy shot back defensively. "He's used stranger methods in the past!"

"Then why is he acting like a cat?" Amara countered.

"To test our ability to adapt to the situations," Roberto explained with a knowing smirk. "Look, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not going to get anything less than an A-plus on this test!"

"So, wait," Jubilee said, a slow smile coming over her face as her eyes drifted to the pigtailed boy. "Our job is to hurt him and save the gopher?"

"Well, save the gopher, yes," Roberto said, stopping in his tracks at Jubilee's tone.

"But to save the gopher," The Asian-American girl repeated, rubbing her hands together eagerly. "We may have to hurt him. A lot."

"I suppose so..."

"I'm game then!" Jubilee declared, lifting both hands and gleefully firing twin bursts of multi-coloured energy directly at her combat instructor. The streams of energy exploded upon contact, causing the boy to drop the gopher held in his mouth; hissing angrily, he leaped back from the blasts, pigtail standing on end. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She cackled wickedly, startling Rahne and the others as she bombarded the catlike boy with a steady rain of brightly-coloured explosives "TAKE THAT, YOU SLAVE-DRIVING BASTARD!"

"Uh," Roberto threw in. "I was thinking that we are supposed to do this without our powers..."

"Right," Bobby scoffed, rolling his eyes as he fired an icy-blue blast at the ground in Ranma's path. "He's shredding trees without even touching them, and we're supposed take him on with our hands and feet."

"He dinnae say anythin' t'me about a surprise session," Rahne pointed out futilely, watching in dismay as the others began following Jubilee's lead, wincing in particular as Sam propelled himself four-feet straight into the ground when Ranma dodged at the last minute. The gopher had scampered off at this point, meaning the pigtailed mutant could now give them his full attention.

She had a very strong feeling that this wasn't a good thing.

* * *

Bracing herself against the wall as the floor suddenly shook violently, Rogue found herself tempted to go back up the short staircase and beat Jean senseless. The thought was debated on for several second before the southern girl ruefully shook her head and decided against it. While Jean did deserve it, and Rogue had promised to do as much just the previous day if the redhead did what it was now obvious she had done, there simply wasn't any time. She had to make sure Ranma was alright.

Taking the steps from the third floor to the second five at a time, Rogue frowned as the recent revelations of what had been going on behind her back simmered in her mind. Ranma had been hiding something from her - something that wasn't so bad in and of itself, as she believed everyone had the right to have their own secrets. What made this so irritating was who it was that he had been hiding something with.

'We are definitely gonna have that talk," She thought to herself. 'About this and about what happened when he walked Melinda home.'

'**I WANT RANMA!'** Jean's voiced shooting through her mind caused her to stagger and nearly fall down the remaining stairs. 'Ya can have 'im over mah dead body,' Rogue thought back bitterly, hoping Jean wasn't too far away to pick up on her thoughts. Reaching the bottom of the staircase, her feet pounded against the shredded carpet as she hurdled over the ruined furniture the two cat-minded mutants had left in their wake. The deep fissures in the floor and walls made her reconsider her previous thoughts as she imagined such damage done to her.

Turning the corner, Rogue skipped the steps entirely and jumped onto the bannister, easily sliding down on her backside. Reaching the bottom, she pushed herself off and landed in a run.

"Rogue!"

Skidding to a halt, Rogue gasped as she saw Xavier lying on the floor, one hand raised to his temple. Rushing to his side, she saw the school's headmaster gritting his teeth, his face twisted into a mask of agony. His wheelchair was lying on its side at the other end of the foyer, and from the look of things, it had suddenly decided to change career paths and become an ejection seat.

"Professor!" She exclaimed, crouching next to him. "Are ya'alright?"

"Jean's power are out of her control," He replied, his voice strained. "It's sending... powerful reverberations through the astral plane. It's taking... everything... I have to keep from being - unngh - overwhelmed by her power."

"She's gone nuts up there!" She exclaimed. "She's demandin' Ranma be brought to her, somethin' 'bout 'nulls'."

"Yes," Xavier nodded, clenching his eyes shut tightly. "I-I have heard her mental p-projections. Fortunately, they are... not going beyond the mansion, so perhaps something of the Jean we know... is keeping her in check, but for how long?"

**'NO' **Xavier let out a gasp of pain as Jean's voice rang through both their minds.** 'NO, I MUST HAVE MY NULL! THE EYES!'**

"She ain't actin' like a cat no more," Rogue told him, her voice shaking slightly the rattling her skull had taken when Jean's mental voice had forced it's way in. Returning to her feet, she glanced at the door. "Ranma got knocked out the window an' her mind slowly came back. Scott sent me down t'try an' find 'im an' make sure he ain't hurt."

"Must be...AHHH...the proximity," Xavier replied, clutching his head with both hands now; each word seemed to take every scrap of physical and mental strength to utter. "She was in his mind when the Neko-Ken took over, and was swept along with it. W-without him... without him close enough, the cat-fist was likely unable... to keep it's control over her." He shook his head rapidly. "No time for this now, you have to find Ranma and make sure he is alright."

"Don't worry about me," He continued, cutting off the question on her lips. "Go!"

With a sharp nod, Rogue raced through the door, nearly ripping it off its hinges as she flung it open. Once outside, she started suddenly and drew in a sharp breath as a pressure previously unaware of lifted from her mind. Blinking several times in confusion, she looked back at the Mansion behind her, shivering slightly as she felt the power emanating from it.

Rogue took an involuntary step back, forcing the unease she was feeling from her mind. Looking around, she smacked herself in the forehead upon realizing that the window Ranma had been knocked out of was on another side of the building. "Smart," She muttered to herself, taking a step towards the house before reconsidering; there was too much power flying around in there, and she really didn't want Jean's mind inside of hers again.

Taking the long away around instead, Rogue quickly arrived at the east yard. Crouching low to the ground, she quickly located several shards of glass in the small garden along the edge of the house. Looking up at the broken window above - obvious by the chaotic aura of psychic power emanating from it - she made some quick mental calculations. Moving several yards away from the house, she nodded upon finding a portion of grass partly crushed - almost as if someone had landed there after being knocked out of a window.

"Now," She said softly, a hint or ire attached to her words as she rubbed her arms slightly. A chilling breeze had risen from the cliffside, slipping under her clothes and biting into her skin. "If Ah were a hunky guy with the mind of a cat, where would Ah wander off to..."

A shout from the backyard caught her attention, reminding Rogue very suddenly that the younger students were out there. A chill unrelated to the wind slid down her back as she recalled the claw marks in the floor, and she broke out into a run; she didn't think Ranma would hurt any of them, but if he had the mind of a cat...

The little demons, in her experience, were very fickle creatures. She ran faster.

The scene she arrived at, however close to the scenario she had been dreading, was completely unexpected. The younger students were indeed on the ground, splayed out in a nearly comical circle pattern, unconscious but without any obvious injury. Next to Bobby's prone from was a group of Jamies, poking the older boy with sticks and talking animatedly amongst themselves.

And in the center, grooming a still-conscious and bewildered Rahne, was Ranma.

Rogue blinked and rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things, thinking the stress might be playing tricks on her mind. But when she lowered her hands, sure enough, the sight remained the same. Ranma, sitting up on all fours, was running a bright red tongue over Rahne's face. The lycanthropic girl was in her human form, her face red and unsure of how she should be reacting, although the guilty look she gave Rogue upon seeing her made the southern girl bite back a scowl.

"Rahne?" She said slowly, eying the tenderness the pigtailed boy was showing the Scottish girl. "Care t'explain what happened here?"

"I cannae think of how t'start.

* * *

Grooming the kitten next to him, Ranma cast a disdainful eye to his slumbering playmates. The two-legs had begun the game, using all matter of two-legs trickery, yet all had fallen before his greater prowess. The kittens had remained out of the game, and even now several identical two-legs were running around, making incomprehensible noises as they taunted their fallen brethren. The other kitten had been staring at this with a strange look, but he had brushed it aside upon noticing the dirt on her; the young ones didn't know how to keep up proper grooming habits, but that was expected. They had to be shown, and that was a simple reality of the wild.

Running his tongue along her face, a contented purr rumbling in his throat, Ranma stopped suddenly when his nose picked up a familiar scent. Lifting his head, the purr deepened as he saw the stripe-furred two-legs looking at him from outside the circle. Letting out an excited trill, he left the kitten behind and pounced on his two-legs.

Ignoring the surprised shout - two-legs were always jumpy - he gently pushed it to the ground and licked her cheek, pressed his mouth against hers, and walked in a small circle on her lap before curling up. Lying his head against his forepaws and purring softly, Ranma dozed off.

* * *

After what seemed like hours of ducking, dodging and phasing, Kitty and Tofu made into the eyes of the hurricane. Floating several feet above them was Jean, her red hair whipping about uncontrollably across her stoic features, her green eyes now pools of white fury.

Raising a finger to his lips, Tofu looked an Kitty and crouched low to the floor, keeping themselves out of Jean's line of sight. He didn't know how much good it would do - telepaths didn't exactly need their eyes to know who was around them - but every precaution must be taken. Creeping slowly along the floor, Tofu began singing an annoying little tune in his head on and endless loop, hiding his thoughts behind it on the off-chance Jean was listening.

Tofu dropped to the floor instinctively as Jean suddenly lifted an arm, pointing her hand in his direction. Several chunks of wood halted in midair and exploded into hundreds of sharpened darts; Jean waved a hand as if she was swatting a fly, and the projectiles flew en masse at the two beneath her.

Huddling against the floor, Kitty grit her teeth and focused her powers, making herself and the doctor intangible just as the tiny spears struck them. Holding her breath as she felt them passing through her body, she looked over at the doctor, urging him forward with her eyes. Tofu nodded and released he hand the moment the assault ended.

Leaping several feet forward and landing in a crouch, Tofu resisted the urge to adjust his glasses before focusing his strength into his legs. Pushing off against the floor with incredible speed, he met Jean in mid-air, grabbing her in a tight hold from behind.

**'NO!' **Jean wailed through his mind, sending mental pins through his skull.** 'I MUST HAVE MY NULL! THE EYES!'**

"Be good for the doctor, young lady," Tofu muttered, struggling to raise a hand against her thrashing. "You'll get a lollipop afterwards."

'**LET ME GO!' **The redhead raged, gritting her teeth and thrusting her head backwards; Tofu leaned back to avoid the headbutt, holding onto the psychic as tightly as he could. **'I MUST HAVE IT! I WILL NOT BE DENIED AGAIN!'**

Wrapping his legs around her waist, Tofu shot his other arm out, grasping the forearm the redhead had raised. Processing the diagnostic he gained for the direct skin contact, Tofu filed the information away and focused on the task at hand. Locating a small pressure point at her wrist, he put a small amount of pressure on it and released. Jean raged in confused fury as the arm fell limply to her side.

'STOP,' Jean whimpered in his mind, the rage draining from her mental voice. '**PLEASE, JUST GIVE ME WHAT I NEED! THE EYES, THE HORRIBLE EYES, PLEASE MAKE THEM GO AWAY MAKE THEM LEAVE MAKE THEM-'**

The raging vortex increased in power around them, knocking Evan off his feet and into Logan, both slamming against the wall with a sickening thud. With a grimace, Tofu tore off his glasses and shifted his vision, staring directly into the girl's ki. The life energy was pulsating furiously, racing along her spiritual pathways as if in search of something. The lines all intersected into a bright glowing line of red running directly into her brain - or the spiritual equivalent thereof. Her mind itself was a painfully bright swirl of glowing energy, every colour in the spectrum represented alongside several that weren't.

**'-STOP stop STop YOU caN't THE EYeS PLeASE OH GOD pLEase-'**

Putting further pressure on her with his free arm, Tofu bore the fury of the girl as she began spinning throughout the room, her screams now coming from her throat and her mind in an eerie stereo effect. The other students were grabbing strong holds on anything that wasn't moving, taking any effort needed to keep from being swept up in the psychic storm. Pressing his hand against her stomach, the doctor struck seven shiatsu points in rapid succession; psychic energy began bleeding into the room uncontrollably. Just one more to go...

'**-please OH god **please' The girl pleaded desperately; Tofu knew that she had somehow sensed what was about to **happen. 'just one null I JUST need one NULL THE eyEs HORRible-'**

Raising a fist, Tofu located the final point at the back of the girl's neck. "Everyone!" He shouted, focusing his distorted vision. "BRACE YOURSELVES!" Letting out a wild yell, the mutant medic struck hard.

The sudden explosion of power sent a ripple of psionic energy throughout the room, throwing Tofu off the thrashing redhead and directly into the wall behind. Gasping in pain as he slumped to the ground, he watched with the sick fascination one normally reserves for a thirty-car pile-up on a major interstate highway. Her one working arm clutched to the side of her head, Jean's lips had pulled back into a silent shriek as the chaos suddenly ceased, plants and chunks of plaster falling to the ground with dead thuds. Jean remained in the air for an eternal second before falling to the ground as well, limp as a marionette with severed strings.

Silence ruled Ororo's ruined sanctuary for what felt like hours as the X-Men caught their breath. Scott pulled himself off the floor, his track uniform hanging from threads off his body, and Evan retracted his armour. All eyes were locked on the unconscious woman in the center of the room, all fearful of what might happen next.

Two words broke through the silence; later there would be dispute over whether they had been spoken or felt, some even claiming they had been there from the beginning, waiting to be heard.

**'...thank you...'**

**

* * *

**Flinching as Ranma leaped straight at her, Rogue was fully expecting the feeling of claws raking through her flesh. What she felt, however, was a gentle shove followed by a weight on her lap. Opening one tentative eye, she watched as Ranma sniffed her face, let out a pleased 'mrow' and licked her cheek.

She was even more surprised - but not unpleasantly so - when he pressed his mouth against hers.

Raising a hand to touch her lips, she watched him as he settled down in her lap, quickly drifting off to sleep. Her other hand absently rose to stroke his hair softly, and she giggled lightly upon hearing him start to purr. This was, without a doubt, the strangest relationship she had ever had.

And she was loving every minute of it.

In the back of her mind, some part of her was still upset with him for hiding what happened with Jean from her, as well as not telling her the whole story about Melinda kissing him after the carnival, but she let those concerns fall away for the time being. The feeling of being with him, even like this, with him not even in his right mind, was enough to remind her exactly how much she cared for the boy. A smirk came over Rogue's face as another thought occurred to her; Melinda may have kissed him first as a girl and as a boy, but she'd gotten the first smooch from the cat.

A small victory, and one she wouldn't be able to rub into Melinda's face, but a victory nonetheless.

Something prickled in the back of her mind, and Rogue looked up at the mansion behind her. She couldn't see the window in which the fight against Jean was taking place, but she was certain it had just ended; hopefully that meant the redhead would stop bothering her boyfriend...

Her fingers still running through his hair, Rogue lifted her head, meeting Rahne's eyes. the Scottish girl had silently made her way closer, sitting across from her and watching, still bewildered, as Ranma slept on her lap. There was a trace of envy in the other girl's eyes, but Rogue paid it no mind - she was too young to be any kind of competition.

"So what happened out here?" She asked quietly, meeting the other girl's gaze. "Ranma didn't hurt no one, did he?"

Rahne shook her head. "He was chasin' after a gopher," she explained, "And Roberto got it inta his head that it was a surprise trainin' exercise, somethin' 'bout how we 'ad t'protect the gopher." She gestured to Jubilee, who was rolling over onto her back, slowly waking up and groaning pitifully. "Jubilee went along with it, just so she could attack him an' get away with it, and the others followed. Ranma treated it like a game, and th'others got worn out. Then he started lickin' me..."

"Right," Rogue interrupted, nodding. "Ah saw that last part."

"Why-" Rahne swallowed nervously, then started again. "Why is Mr. Ranma actin' like a cat?"

"Long story," Rogue said, shaking her head. She smiled softly to herself, feeling the built-up tension from the last several days melt away as she held Ranma in her lap, his silky black hair between her fingers. He was a nice pseudo-kitty - far better than any actual feline. "A very long story."

* * *

"Alright!" Genma boomed, easily capturing the attention of every student in the class. "Stop. That's enough for today. Practice at home at least an hour every night, and I'll see you this time next week." Giving the class a deep bow, which was enthusiastically returned, he waved a hand in the air. "Dismissed."

The ladies of the intermediate Women's Self-Defense class slowly filtered out of the dojo, chatting amongst themselves, making plans to meet up for tea and other such ventures. Genma fought back a blush as he noticed some of the single woman - many more than a decade younger than him! - give him an appreciative eye, grabbing a broom and sweeping the floor to distract himself; it simply would be against proper conduct for him to respond.

Letting himself get lost once again in the meditative motions of cleaning, Genma smiled to himself. 'Heh,' He thought, mentally patting himself on the back. 'Ya still got it, Saotome.'

It was almost noon, and by a rare twist of fate the elder Saotome was alone on the Tendo property. Kasumi was in class, as was Akane, and Soun had taken it upon himself to head to the market in place of his eldest daughter.

Snorting to himself, Genma shook his head; why Tendo even bothered with the market was anyone's guess. While he approved of the man's willingness to do more around the house - taking a small measure of pride in the work he himself had played in bringing into being - the man really had no place with those kind of errands. He had none of his daughter's ability to find the best deals, and often got distracted by ridiculous impulse purchases. Not that Genma had minded the seventeen pounds of calamari, but it was the principal of the thing.

Yawning, the bespectacled martial artist glanced towards the clock above the doorway; and hour and a half until the next class, and Soun would be the one teaching it. Plenty of time for a panda-nap, especially with the sun shining so brigh-

"Good morning," he greeted absently, sensing someone step into the dojo. "If you're here to sign up for lessons or to challenge the owner to savage combat, there are sign-up sheets for both by the changing rooms." Still not looking up, he waved a hand in the general direction.

"Genma Saotome?" The newcomer asked, his voice betraying obvious eagerness.

Looking up this time, Genma casually adjusted his glasses as he cast his eyes on the visitor. He was a young man, around nineteen, twenty at the older, with a lean, muscular build. A plain white bandanna was wrapped around his head, holding his dark hair back from his eyes. A black muscles shirt and camouflage pants adorned his frame, and at his side was a large backpack.

"That would be me," He answered cautiously, rifling through his memories of the people who might have a grudge against him. The face was unfamiliar, although that did not mean the option was completely ruled out. "May I help you with something?"

"Finally..." The boy whispered, taking a purposeful step forward as his face broke out in a wide, humourless grin. "Oh yes, I would indeed say there is something you can help me with..."

Suspicion continued to build in Genma's mind, the way the boy moved bringing about a nagging familiarity. Desperately hoping he was wrong, Genma reached out with his senses, feeling for the boy's ki while slipping into a subtle ready position. His probe confirmed his fears - the boy's ki was loud and reckless to Genma's senses, nearly shredding the probe before he yanked it away.

"Who are you?" Genma asked, somehow managing to keep his composure. Inside , he was cursing himself for not destroying the other two scrolls.

"You gave something to a man fifteen years ago," the boy said, ignoring Genma's question. "A scroll containing powerful secret techniques. The man hoped to use this new system of martial arts to revitalize his failing dojo." He narrowed his eyes, and Genma could feel his ki fluctuating wildly.

"What you neglected to do, however," The boy continued, "Was warn the man how dangerous the techniques truly were! He was mortally wounded, crushed to death by his own livelihood, Genma Saotome, while practicing one of the destructive attacks. That man was my father."

"And now you have come to seek revenge?" Genma hypothesized. To his surprise, the boy shook his head.

"No," the boy said. "I found him in the ruins of the Kumon family dojo. He told me his death had been a result of his own careless ambition. He had failed to take the proper precautions, and absolved you of any culpability."

"Then why have you come," Genma asked, "If not for vengeance."

"His last words." The boy replied. "He gave me the scroll, miraculously intact, and impressed upon me the task of finding the other." The boy paused, clenching his teeth, obviously recalling the painful memory. "'Find them, Ryu,' he told me, 'and you can restore our family name and legacy, pushing it to even greater heights than ever before'."

"It is for that purpose," Ryu concluded, staring Genma directly in the eyes. "that I am here today. Now," he slid into an offense stance Genma easily recognized. "are you going to give them to me, or am I going to have to acquire them through more painful means?"

"It was foolish of me to have given that scroll to your father," Genma said calmly, adjusting his defensive stance to best combat a _Moko Kaimon Ha,_ which Ryu would undoubtedly lead off with. "And I am truly sorry as to the results of his using it. Nevertheless, I will not give you what you seek."

"Looks like you've chosen option two then," Ryu grinned darkly, clenching his fists tightly at his side. "In a way, I'm somewhat relieved... it'll be so much more satisfying if I earned them."

"You do not understa-" Genma was cut off as Ryu bolted forward.

"_**DON'T MOVE!"**_

The strange voice, deeper than any human vocal chord could manage yet also oddly ethereal, penetrated Genma's brain like a bullet, repeating itself in an endless mantra. To his horror, the older man found his body complying, completely incapable of movement. His eye unable to blink, Genma watched as the boy broke through his non-existent defenses.

"_Moko Kaimon Ha!"_ Ryu shouted, ruthlessly tearing into Genma's paralyzed form.

* * *

Only one day into her new autonomy, Sage began to wonder if she may have had better success following Kocho's direct orders. It wasn't something she enjoyed admitting, but combing the streets and rooftops on her own, without access to Kocho's information network, was proving to be far more difficult than previously expected. Even more troublesome was Taro's ability to seemingly vanish into thin air whenever he wanted - which, to her ire, added some weight to the theory that he was not who he claimed.

Stopping on the rooftop of Furinkin High, Sage directed a glare downward, at the spot straight above Kocho's basement office; she didn't know how, but somehow this was his fault. Setting a portion of her mind aside to work out various plans of vengeance, she leapt from the roof, swan-diving into a nearby tree. Landing gracefully on a thick branch, the black-clad woman tapped her sunglasses, snapping off quick pictures of the schoolyard and surrounding area. Seeing nothing worthy of note, she took to the air again.

Landing silently on the rooftop of an apartment building, Sage couldn't help but feel odd about doing this in broad daylight; the streets below were filled with people, and aside from the occasional bored glance upwards, nobody had even given her a second look. Nerima was definitely... different. Sage hadn't decided yet whether or not she cared for it.

Following a seemingly random path through the neighborhood, Sage began to grow increasingly bored with her lack of success, beginning a four-way game of chess in the back of her mind. She had begun spreading rumours several days ago, at the Kuno elder's instruction, in the hopes of drawing 'Taro' into the open, but it seemed thus far that none had managed to bear fruit. While part of her insisted this entire mission was a waste of time, a growing desire to complete it was slowly overwhelming that notion.

Coming to a rest atop the Tendo home, Sage watched impassively as Genma Saotome spoke with an unknown boy. Committing his face to memory, she was about to move on when her eyes caught the words forming on the boys lips. Frozen in place like a gargoyle, Sage felt a small kernel of fear form in her stomach as the boy continued to speak. Lifting a quivering hand, she set her shades to record and activated the long-range microphone, desperately hoping that what she was witnessing was not what it appeared to be.

The black-clad woman continued to watch, the fear growing steadily larger with each passing word. The boy - Ryu Kumon, a name which matched none in her mental files - had the Yamasenken at his disposal.

This was not a good thing.

* * *

The compendium of the Senkens flooded his mind, and Genma desperately wished he were capable of shutting his eyes. Lying on the floor in the same position, bleeding from several chest wounds, the elder Saotome struggled to get back to his feet. The boy's command repeated through his mind whenever he tried to move, forcing him to remain completely motionless, unable to even blink, his eyes burning as Ryu loomed menacingly overhead. Genma knew how to counter every single one of the Yamasenken's monstrous maneuvers - knowledge that was completely useless right now in the face of the boy's paralyzing command.

"I'm not actually going to fight you, old man," The boy said suddenly, catching him by surprise; crouching down, Ryu looked him straight in the eye, his expression indicating that he wasn't going to tolerate disobedience. "I don't have the time, and ashamed as I am to admit it, I don't have the skill." He grinned, immaculate white teeth shimmering, reflecting Genma's frozen visage back at him. "I do, however, have this little talent." He blinked suddenly, adding as if an afterthought, "You can _**BLINK,**_ by the way.

"Now," Ryu continued, "I am going to ask you again; Where is the Umisenken? _**SPEAK!**_"

His jaw suddenly able to move again, Genma set it firmly. "I can't let you have it." He refused. "They were sealed for a reason."

_**"TELL ME!**__**"**_

The ethereal booming voice echoed throughout Genma's mind, and the words spilled unbidden from his lips. "The Umisenken is in Bayville, New York."

Ryu frowned, considering the information. "Damn, that's a ways away, isn't it?" His eyes narrowed and he leaned in closer, his next words delivered with a disturbing intensity. "And what about the third?"

A icy chill swept through Genma's marrow. "Third?" He questioned tentatively."You must be mist-URRK!"

"Don't play games with me, Saotome!" Ryu snarled, digging the tips of his fingers deep into the older man's chest, inches away from his heart. Genma could feel the strength in the boys hands, easily capable of rending flesh and bone. "Tell me about the Honousenken!"

Genma's eyes would have widened in shock had they been capable of movement. "How..." He rasped out, "How do you know about the Honousenken?"

"You told my father many things." Ryu said bitterly. "And his death was very prolonge- It doesn't matter! Just _**TELL ME!**_**"**

"I-I-I-I won't!" Genma declared, fighting off the overwhelming impulse to obey. "Th-there is no point anyway, it has b-been destroyed!"

"Then you will tell me, old man," Ryu growled, his glare piercing through Genma's skull. "Exactly how I can recreate it. _**NOW!**_**"**

**

* * *

**The fear continued to grow as Sage watched the exchange play out, the boy forcing the knowledge he sought from the older man through his mutated vocal chords. The words spilled from Genma like a breaking dam, and only through his eyes could she see the horror he felt at what was happening.

If it hadn't involved the Senkens, Sage would have found it amusing.

Kumon laughed once Genma finished, and Sage tore her eyes away from the scene, her heart thumping out of control. Taking a deep breath, she quickly brought it back to normal while analyzing what she had just seen from every possible angle. Tapping the corner of her shades as she leapt from the Tendo home, she whispered in a low voice. "Open-" She swallowed, clearing her throat and licking her lips. "Open channel M."

The com link in her ear made several indistinctive noises which broke off, replaced by a the voice of her Master. "Report, Sage..."

"Sir," She replied, pressing opposite corner of her shades in a specific pattern. "Uplinking file. I urge you to watch it, sir."

Silence was her response, leaving her with only her thoughts - which inevitably kept turning back to the scene she had just witnessed. Another portion of her mind brought up images of violence beyond even her considerable capacity, death and destruction and fire and - she forced the images away, replacing them with three simultaneous games of Sudoku.

"Sir?" She asked aloud after the exact length of the file had elapsed.

"You were correct to show me this..." Her Master replied, his voice the epitome of controlled. "This is to be given priority status. Abandon the current pursuit."

"Sir?" She asked, landing a crouch atop a the boarded-up Nekohanten, a note of surprise entering her normally even tones; never had she been ordered to abandon a mission completely. "Are you cert-"

"Do not question me, Sage." Her Master replied, the sounds of rending steel entering his words. "This is far more important that Mystique or the unknown shapeshifter."

"Acknowledged, sir."

"Do whatever you must," Her Master concluded, severing the connection.

The fear grew again in her stomach as Sage realized the full weight of the orders. How could she have even thought to question them? Spinning on her toes, she launched herself back into the air, following in the direction Ryu Kumon had left in. Her Master's unspoken words burned themselves into the core of her mind.

The Honousenken must never again be unleashed.

* * *

Genma lay on the floor of the dojo for several minutes after Ryu Kumon had left, feeling slowly returning to his limbs. His mind, however, remained numb; the internal deluge of self-reprimands and cursing not doing one bit to make him feel any better. Logically, he knew it would have been impossible to resist, not with the type of power the boy had at his disposal, but part of him insisted he could have resisted.

The full weight of what had just happened came crashing down on the burly man. The boy knew everything, and had the determination to fulfill his reckless ambitions, heedless of the warnings and outright pleading Genma had attempted during the few moments he'd been able to say what he wanted. Closing his eyes, Genma sighed ruefully.

"Well now," a familiar high-pitched voice spoke up. Cracking open an eye, Genma took in the gnomish form of his master. The ancient man was sitting cross-legged on Genma's stomach, staring at him through lidded eyes, faint blue smoke rising from the pipe in his hand.

"Master," He greeted, his voice properly meek. He had a growing feeling that the unpleasantness was not yet over.

"You certainly messed up there, Genma m'boy." Happosai continued, taking a long drag from his pipe. Blowing out several smoke rings into Genma's face, the founder of Anything-Goes rapped Genma painfully on the forehead. "You told me they had all been destroyed."

"I'm sorry, Master..."

"Don't sorry me, fool," Happosai snapped back, smacking him again between the eyes. "That boy," He paused, a deep frown set into his wrinkled face. "He was one of your kind, wasn't he? Another mutie."

Bristling at the slur, Genma bit his tongue. "Yes. There was no ki coming from his voice."

"Feh," The old man snorted, tapping some ash out onto Genma's chest. "Figures. It's up to a feeble old man to succeed then where you have failed, pup."

Springing off his stomach, Happosai landed in the doorway. Slipping his pipe into his sleeve, he gave Genma a final look. "You screwed up big time, Genma," He rasped, sighing. "You ignored my warnings and created them anyway. You've seen the results once before. Pray that I succeed, and that you don't have to see them again."

Genma's eyes closed again, not watching as his master vanished, not hearing him cackle about 'lovely American ladies' and 'Victoria's Secret'. Taking a deep breath, he tried to forget everything he had just experienced. The sun streaming through the doorway felt good on his face.

* * *

Tapping her foot impatiently, Reiko uncrossed her arms to check the time, then glanced up at the screen showing the arrivals. It was a useless expenditure of energy, she realized in the back of her mind; she'd memorized the arrivals and departures for the next several hours upon first glance.

Leaning against a wall several meters from the gate Jonah would be arriving at - in a mere moments, unless something had delayed the plane - Reiko ignored the sounds of crying children and businessmen on their cell phones, arguing over mergers and stock options and other trivial matters. Narita International Airport, like any other in the civilized world, looked exactly the same at 4:30 am as it did at 4:30 pm; busy, loud, and full of tourists.

'Tourist' was another word for 'fool', as far as Reiko was concerned, glowering behind her sunglasses at the ignorant smiling faces of a family of four wearing ridiculous clothing as they had their picture taken in front of the South Wing Terminal One sign. They were all fools, everyone who eagerly got into one of those flying coffins; special loathing was reserved for the people working in the airport itself. Counter-jockeys, baggage handlers, repair crews - they all claimed up and down, forth and back, until your ears were bleeding that air travel was safer than any other. Did they fly any of the planes? Hypocrites, all of them.

Deliberately ignoring the deliberately loud English of an American tourist asking her for directions to the bathroom, Reiko turned her gaze back to the gate just in time to see the tall, almost obscenely handsome man she'd been waiting for. He carried nothing but a small carry-on bag, a backpack, a half-empty bag of peanuts and a young woman on his arm. "Jonah!" She waved, quickly pulling his attention from the perky girl he'd been walking with; Reiko dismissed the glare she was received from the unknown green-haired girl as Jonah politely disengaged her from his arm and walked over to her.

"Reiko," He greeted, his strong, masculine voice making her toes involuntarily tingle. With a lean, perfectly muscled body, firm stubbled jaw, and a smile that made those of a different sexual persuasion momentarily reconsider, Reiko renewed her opinion that Dr. Jonah Ryan was too attractive to be a scientist. "What a pleasure it is to see you again."

"All mine, I assure you," Reiko replied; after years of constant exposure to him at MIT, she'd managed to build up an immunity to his oblivious charm. Mostly.

"Now that pleasantries are out of the way," Jonah continued, crunching on several peanuts as they left the gate behind them. "Would you mind telling me why you have uprooted me from the project and brought me across the world? I have surmised that it has something to do with the materials my assistants sent you."

"It does," She nodded, pushing the door open and stepping out into the cool morning air. A small, speedy brown blur caught the corner of her eye, but vanished when she looked over. She shook her head; must be the anxiety about being in an airport, she reasoned. "Although I suggest we refrain from specific details until we have returned to my office."

"Agreed," Jonah nodded, glancing around pick-up/drop off area, his eyes lingering curiously on a tall, gorgeous brunette woman looking repeatedly from a small ring on her finger and sighing happily, to passionate gazes at a short, balding man next to her. From what Reiko could observe of their behavior, the two were obviously newlyweds.

She blinked as one of their suitcases moved several feet. Shaking her head again, Reiko decided she really needed to get out of here; apparently, the luggage was having the same idea. 'Has to be on wheels,' she convinced herself.

As they were obviously too distracted by each other to think about eavesdropping, Reiko put them out of her mind and directed Jonah towards a cab she had waiting. "I thought taxi's from NIA to Tokyo were extraordinarily expense..."

"They are," Reiko confirmed, slipping into the back seat. "Especially with the early morning fees. You're paying for this."

"Of course."

Giving her directions to the driver in Japanese, Reiko thought for a moment and quickly added in English., "Do you understand English?"

"A little," The driver replied in the same language, albeit with a heavy accent.

"Sprechen sie Deutsches?"

"Huh?"

"We'll speak in German," She told Jonah in the same language, ignoring the driver's look of incomprehension and quick acceptance; he must deal with this sort of thing a lot. "Yes, this has to do entirely with the Medical Diagnostic Array."

"There is not a problem, is there?" Jonah asked with a yawn, peering into his empty peanut bag with a forlorn look. "I was not... what's the word... incorrect in assuming that you would be able to help us, was I?"

"You were not," Reiko shot back, always annoyed when some questioned her intelligence. "This has to do with a young woman I met, who happened upon the plans-"

"Reiko!" Jonah snapped, rare anger clouding his features. "How did you let that-"

"-and finished them." Reiko continued, ending the man's tirade before it had begun. "Finished them and improved them before I even had a chance to look. She has no scientific background, is basically still a student, and yet her math is perfect, the designs are flawless, and the entire project has been pushed ahead several months. Years even."

Jonah was silent for several moments, his jaw hanging open as he stared dumbly at Reiko. "We've been working on it for two years," he finally responded, leaning back against the uncomfortable seat and rubbing his head. "And you're telling me-"

"-that in less than half an hour, a girl with almost no history in any field managed to do what an entire team of physicists and engineers with multiple PhDs and more than one Nobel have not." Reiko finished. "We're going to the girl's home to meet with her, so you can confirm everything for yourself."

"I see," Jonah responded dazedly, looking again at the bag of peanuts before apparently remembering that it was empty. "You were right not to fax or email such information to me, Reiko. I'll look over these new development for myself."

"I'll need some sleep, however," Jonah added with another wide yawn, "before I meet with this girl. Several Hours of sleep." He took yet another look into his empty bag of peanuts, adding, "And some Skittles."

* * *

A light breeze spun across the grass, creating a wave-like effect as the blades lightly bent, allowing it to pass unhindered. Rising up, the wind brushed through the leaves of several trees, rustling them faintly and shaking as few loose, falling to the ground gently against the backdrop of the slow sunset.

Jean tilted her head back, smiling softly as the breeze caressed her face, running through her unbound hair, spreading the silky locks like brilliant red streamers Leaning back on the stone bench, she propped herself up with her elbows, savouring the invisible touch for as long as she could. Her lips parted slightly, a small sigh escaping, half in disappointment as the cool air departed, half in satisfaction at having been able to experience it.

Tranquility enveloped her, the previous day feeling like nothing more than a half-remembered dream. She much preferred to think of it as such.

She opened her eyes halfway, verdant green orbs taking in the beauty of the world before her. The sounds of waves gently breaking against the cliffside rose to her ears, the salty sea air resting invitingly against her tongue, the scent of flowers and perfume teasing her nose, the cool, smooth marble of the bench against her fingertips. The brilliant sunset, a mellow cascade of yellow, pink and purple hues painted across the sky, the beautiful viridian colours of the trees, speckled faintly with the odd red and orange.

Jean closed her eyes again, savouring every sensation, but none more so than the clarity of her mind.

The eyes still lurked, hiding deep in the recesses of her brain, skirting the edge of every thought. Always out of sight but never out of mind. The fervent desire for a null rode every train of thought, a dark passenger she would never be rid of, it's sweet siren song beckoning her with every breath.

Jean's lips quivered, her bones feeling colder than arctic frost. Her fingers gripped the edge of the stone as she let the urge ride itself out, the thought that inspired it coming to the forefront of her mind.

"My name is Jean Grey," She said softly, barely above a whisper. There was no one around to hear her, but it wasn't other people that she needed to convince. The words were painful to utter, but the truth of them held stronger than steel. "And I am an addict."

Watching from a window some distance away from the bench, chin balanced on his upright palm, Scott watched silently, the sweet scent of roses wafted up to his nostrils from the large bouquet at his side. It was strange seeing Jean look so relaxed, so at peace with herself and her surroundings. How could he have not noticed what was going on with her? In hindsight, the repressed anxiety and inner turmoil were so obvious, yet he had just written it off as nothing - stress at school, her complex social life, the pressure of being Bayville High's star athlete. He should have noticed.

He hadn't though. No one had. Jean had kept everything volatile bottled up inside, corked up behind a mask of normalcy and shaken repeatedly as she added more to it with every passing day. And yesterday, it had exploded.

Scott frowned, the eyes behind his shades still locked upon the peaceful features of the redhead. The ire was directed entirely at himself, however; he should have noticed something.

"Ya shoulda told us," He nearly jumped at the sound of Rogue's voice; he'd forgotten other people were in the room.

"I wanted to," Ranma this time; Scott felt a minor pang of irritation; Ranma had known, hadn't he? He'd been the one giving Jean her "nulls". "I really did, but I promised I wouldn't."

"Shoulda broken that promise, sugah," Rogue reprimanded, and Scott heard the trademark 'oomph' that indicated a sharp elbow being jammed into the pigtailed boy's gut.

"It's not his fault, Rogue," He said, pulling his eyes away from the girl outside and looking at the two behind him. "Yeah, he should have said something, but we should have seen what was happening to her."

"How's she doin'?" The goth girl asked, her expression vacant as she stepped up to the window, her own eyes locked on Jean.

"Better, I think," Scott replied, easily picking up that Rogue was harboring some resentment for their teammate. "The professor says she woke up finally around noon, while we were in class. They talked for a while, and he's going to be having private lessons with her on a daily basis now to help keep her powers under control."

"And what about the..." Ranma trailed off, nervously searching for the right word. "Other thing?"

"That's a bit more complicated," Scott admitted. "He said they needed to determine the reasons behind her addiction -" Ranma flinched at the word "- and work from there. Doctor Tofu's psiagnosis was only able to tell him about the dependency - something to do with her ki, I guess - but nothing else."

"So there's gonna be a need for a lotta therapy an' soul searchin'" Rogue summarized, stepping back again, Ranma slipping an arm around her waist out of reflex. She gave him a small, indecipherable look, but did nothing else.

"Most likely," Scott agreed, turning again to watch Jean, the redhead laughing delightedly as a butterfly landed on her outstretched finger. Sighing again, he stood up, taking the bouquet off the table as he gave a nod to his two companions. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out into the back yard.

Her eyes closed, Jean tilted her head back, trying in vain to feel the final rays of the sun upon her skin. She hadn't known until now how dead her senses had felt these past few months; how could she have not noticed this before? The beauty of the world captured in miniscule amounts, taken for granted every day, never experienced like this until you finally noticed they were there.

A sweet smell caught her nose, and she sighed. "I smell roses..." She said, opening her eyes again. A beautiful red bouquet filled her vision.

Scott smiled, his arm outstretched in offering. "They're for you," He prompted. Jean smiled and took them with both hands, lifting them to her nose and inhaling the lovely scent.

"Thank you Scott," She said graciously, part of her surprised he had gone to such trouble. The rest of her felt such a gesture was completely normal. She didn't know which one to believe, and honestly, couldn't find it in herself to care. "They're beautiful..."

"Yeah," The boy agreed hesitantly, running his fingers through his hair - a gesture she knew meant he was debating something privately. "They came with a card, though," He finally admitted, pulling something from his pocket and tossing it to her. "Signed by Duncan."

A small wad of crumpled paper landed in her hand, and Jean raised an eyebrow. "Damaged in delivery?" She teased.

"It came like that, I swear." Scott said with a grin, taking a seat on the bench next to her. Neither said anything for several moments, although Jean was pretty certain she knew the question he was going to ask. "So how you holding up?"

"Better," Jean said slowly, thinking it over. "Sort of. It... changes from moment to moment." She shivered slightly, clutching the roses to her chest. "I don't remember much of anything from yesterday." Not sure I even want to, she added to herself.

"That's probably a good thing," The boy replied, leaning back against the bench. "I doubt you'd even want to anyway."

Jean smiled, rising from her seat and smelling the roses a second time. "You're probably right," she said softly. "That's what I like about you, Scott."

"Huh?" Scott sat up, a questioning look on his face.

"How well you understand me," She explained, setting off down the path in a slow, steady gait. "You know me better than anyone ever has," She tossed him a kind smile over her shoulder, "and ever will."

He didn't believe her; she could tell without looking at his face or reading his mind. As well as he knew her, she knew him, and she was dead certain that he felt her problem was somehow his fault. Sighing, she shook her head, the bouquet shaking tightly in her clenched fist as a full body shudder passed through her; leaning against a wall, she closed her eyes tightly, riding out the surge of need.

Squeezing her eyes shut tight, thin streams of tears ran down her cheeks from the effort. Fingertips gripping deep into the walls, Jean suddenly felt claustrophobic, as if her walls of her skull were closing in on her brain. Her breathing grew erratic, and she forced herself to slow down, taking several long, deep breaths. Regaining her composure after several minutes, Jean's eyes darted around fearfully, letting out a sigh of relief upon realizing that no one could have seen her.

"And I am an addict," she whispered again, slipping down to the ground and wrapping her arms tightly around her legs, pulling them close to her chest.

He was most definitely wrong on who's fault it was. She had no one to blame but herself.

* * *

END CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

* * *

Author's notes: Thus, we come to the end of the Jean's Addiction plotline. Not the complete end, mind, as she still has a few struggles ahead of her, but the main thrust of that specific storyline has come to a close. Next comes the recovery.

Kasumi's storyline is moving forward, however slowly; next chapter will move it ahead quite a bit, as well as provide some rather interesting information...

A little info on the Honousenken, the third Senken created for this story. Very little, admittedly, but would it really be that much fun to give everything away? Didn't think so.

Yeah, Ryu's a mutant. Anyone have a problem with that? I've been told by some that I have too many Nerima mutants in this story; I counter with charges that the Ranma/X-Men: Evolution crossover that came before mine didn't have enough. It's one of the reasons I started writing this - I was sick of stories where the only character from Ranma 1/2 was Ranma, and there were so few mutants when they did use other characters. What kind of challenge could mutant Ranma have if Ryoga is human? There are many other problems I had with those stories, though - if anyone cares, ask me and I'll tell ya all of 'em.

There's an omake from this chapter posted on the forum, which can be found through my profile page. There's other stuff too, though not much since maybe five people have posted so far...

That's all I got. Thanks for reading, and I will see you for Chapter Eighteen! Don't forget to review; good reviewers get cookies...


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**The early-morning sun shone** through the clear glass mezzanine, the bright golden beams catching the many facets of a flawless diamond ring, attracting the eye of the breathtaking brunette that wore it. The woman lifted her hand from the escalator handrail, her fingers splayed and eyes growing misty is she watched the stone sparkle. A throaty sigh escaped her full lips, and her lustrous blue eyes drifted sideways, where a lanky, balding man stood holding her other hand. Squeezing it affectionately, her heart fluttered as he flashed her a small smile and squeezed hers in return. As beautiful as it was, she couldn't help but feel it paled in comparison to the simple gold band that rested next to it.

A faint blush colouring her cheeks, Lorelei Lecouvreur – she hadn't decided whether to keep her name or switch to his; she was partial to the alliteration – looked over the small pink diamond. Her eyelids, painted in a light blue shadow, fluttered as she felt tears of happiness well up within the cerulean orbs. How had she managed to be so lucky?

"The baggage carousel should be this way, dear," Her husband stated in the slow, droning voice that for inexplicable reasons sent tingles up her spine. Turning with him, she nearly bumped into a curiously pretty Asian boy, wearing what she thought was a school uniform, with long brown hair tied back into a loose ponytail.

"_Excusez-moi, s'il-vous plait_," Lorelei murmured, offering a short bow in apology as she picked up the boy's spatula. "I did not see 'ou zere."

The boy looked at her uncomprehendingly for several seconds, then with a roll of his eyes, muttered something in Japanese and yanked the cooking utensil from her hand. Pushing past them with an angry mutter, the brown-haired boy vanished into the crowd. Lorelei's lips pinched into a pout as she watched; even in an airport, there was no need to be so rude.

Spouting several 'excuse me's' and 'excusez-moi's', the newlyweds managed to push their way to the baggage claim. Stepping into the waiting ring of people from their flight – which Lorelei noticed included the rude brown-haired spatula-boy– she leaned against her man again, her hand sliding from his and wrapping around his waist. Resting her head on his shoulder, she watched the slow procession of luggage, waiting for their dark green bags to come into view. She was in no hurry, however; the sooner their baggage arrived, the sooner she'd have to admit that this wonderful honeymoon was over, and that they really did have to return to Bayville High next week.

Sighing, she buried her face into her husband's shoulder, placing small butterfly kisses against his neck. Laughing lightly as she felt his face redden, she ignored the incredulous looks from those around her. She didn't care if they didn't look like they belonged together, the simple fact was that they did.

"I think I see our bags, dear," Dr. Varnsen said softly, his face still beet-red from her public display of affection – that was something she'd have to get him over, she mused as she regretfully detached herself from the man. Sashaying over to the carousel, her husband right behind her, Lorelei grabbed the largest of her bags with one arm, muscles tightening as she lifted it off the belt and set it on the floor by her feet. Grabbing the next two - lighter then the first by about seventy pounds - she passed them over to her husband, who shifted the carry-on hanging from his shoulder to accommodate them.

Crouching down, Lorelei made a quick inspection of the large bag; as far as she could tell, it hadn't taken any damage in transit. Locating the latches on either side, she decided to open it up and check on the contents anyway. She had picked out a beautiful Japanese tea set for her sister, and held no trust whatsoever for airline baggage handlers.

"Dear-"

"_Un moment, ma coeur_," She replied softly, snapping the latches open and pulling up the heavy lid. She stumbled back as a small brown blur shot out from her unmentionables and latched itself to her chest.

"SWEETO!"

* * *

**Evolution One Half**

* * *

Disclaimer: I own the original characters, all of 'em! Melinda, Harrison, Thaliá, Dante, Lorelei.... every last one. The other, non-original characters, such as those from X-Men: Evolution and Ranma Nibunnoichi, belong to their respective owners.

Yeah, they got the better deal.

**Warning: ** This is a long one. Viewer discretion advised, one scene in this chapter led to an embarrassing event involving a prereader, a mango, a bus and an old lady. You have been warned.

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

* * *

"It's plainly obvious," Emma said with a frown, staring at her cousin out of the corner of her eye, "That something is going on, and you are not telling me what it is."

"And I think it is equally obvious," Melinda replied, staring into the mirror before her while delicately undoing her long braid. "That sometimes you are simply too nosy for your own good."

"And I shall remind you," Emma countered, reaching for the toothpaste and squelching a small amount onto her white toothbrush, "That I am only nosy because you aren't telling me as much as you used to. Ergo," she added, speaking through the motions of running the rough bristles against her molars. "'Ou are 'idin' 'omethin' fro' 'e, an' I 'anna kno' what i' is."

"Em, first of all, do not talk with your mouth full," her cousin replied, running a pearl-handled hairbrush through her now-unbound hair. "Second, there are some things I am not going to tell you, and you are just going to have to accept it."

"I don' 'anna." Emma pouted in response, pausing to spit into her sink. "You have to give me something so that I may continue to live vicariously through you."

"You," Melinda repeated, raising an eyebrow. Placing the hairbrush back on the counter, she examined herself in the mirror, her eyes drifting to her eyebrows. "Live vicariously through me? Is your own love life, for once, so utterly stagnant that you have to resort to this?"

"Stagnant is not the proper word," The other blond insisted after rinsing the remains of the toothpaste from her mouth. "Stalled is much more accurate."

"Do I detect a tone of bitterness?"

"I am not bitter," Emma defended, glaring at her cousin from across their shared bathroom. Opening the mirrored medicine cabinet on her side of the island counter in the center of the washroom, she continued. "I'm merely acknowledging that I must change my tactics in my pursuit of Mr. Summers. He has more than one woman vying for his affections, and if I am not mistaken, it has put him into a position that he is quite unfamiliar with."

"Thus you have determined," Melinda replied, frowning at her own reflection as she maneuvered the tweezers to their proper position around an errant eyebrow. "That you have to – OW! - actually give him some time to get to know you before you screw his brains out?"

"While I would not put it so crudely-" Emma coughed reproachfully, taking her gaze away from her search of the medicine cabinet. "Yes."

"How very unlike you," Melinda teased, examining her face in the mirror again. "You must have actual feelings for this boy beyond those of a carnal nature."

"He fascinates me," Emma replied, frowning as she returned to her search. "At first, it was the oddness of his eyewear and the hole in my memory, but now..." she trailed off, finding it difficult to put into words what she was thinking.

"It must be the 'undefinable allure'," Melinda said, sticking her tongue out. "A certain _je ne sais quoi_. You know, the same allure you teased me about when I used it in reference to Ranma?"

"Speaking of, would you like to talk about how he's been avoiding you?"

"No I would not."

"Then how about telling me what happened to my special hair treatment formula?" Emma frowned, closing the medicine cabinet with a scowl. Staring into the mirror, she shuddered upon seeing the condition her hair was in.

"Your what?" Melinda questioned, looking over at the other girl in confusion. Several seconds later a wide grin broke out. "Ah, I see your roots are showing again..."

"Quiet you," Emma hissed, glaring into the mirror and, with clenched teeth, trying to mentally will the brown roots to recede. "You didn't touch it?"

"Do I look like I need to?" Her cousin replied, shaking her head as she ran her fingers through her unbound hair. "Unlike you, dear cousin, these golden locks are completely natural." She paused, adding after a moment. "Although...."

"Yes?"

"I am almost certain that I saw Donna running out of here earlier."

"Oh, shit..." Emma cursed, racing barefoot across the pink tile floor. Throwing open the large wooden door and bolting down the halls, she skidded to stop at the top of the spiral staircase that lead down into the foyer. With dismay, she bent down to pick up the open bottle of Frost Formula 13 that rested upon the top step. She gave it a light shake and groaned; it was empty.

Glancing between it and the floor below, Emma took several tentative steps down, listening intently to the laughter coming from the main family room. "Oh, sweet Astronaut Jesus..." she muttered, reaching the ground floor and tip-toeing across the light blue carpet.

Half a step from the doorway, a four-foot-tall bundle of compressed energy wearing a pair of black pajamas ricocheted into her path. Bright blue eyes shone beneath a fringe of dark brown hair that bounced as the nine-year-old girl hopped from one foot to the other. Emma winced at the sight – in particular, at the new platinum blonde streak that ran through the middle of her younger cousin's brunette coif.

"CousinEmmaCousinEmmaCousinEmmalookatmelookatmelookatme!" Donnatella Frost exclaimed, not standing still enough for Emma to actually get a good look at her. "Ifoundabottleofstuffinyourbathroomandputitinmyhairandlookatmenow!I'maskunk!"

Sighing, Emma turned around, not watching as the girl continued her impression of a skunk hopped up on Jolt Cola and methamphetamines. Slowly plodding back up the stairs, she raised a hand to her hair, fingering the dark brown roots with undisguised loathing.

"I'maskunkI'maskunkI'macutelittleskunk!"

Emma shuddered. She had to find another bottle before tomorrow.

* * *

Bright searchlights scoured the grounds of the Stokes County Maximum Security Prison, following their programmed paths along the large concrete and steel buildings and illuminating the stoic figures in the watch towers that lined the thick walls that surrounded the compound. Guards walking the halls didn't even shield their eyes as the light passed over their faces, long-accustomed to the necessary security measures that intruded upon their nightly rounds.

Beneath the grounds, a single guard sat with his feet propped on the surface of a small steel table inside the monitoring room of the Special Solitary wing. Thumbing through a magazine with a bored expression and idly bopping his head to the music playing through the headphones at his ears, the guard didn't notice as the blue status light on the far wall suddenly changed to a bright red, a faint klaxon now filling the room.

The guard also failed to notice the rapid changes in the multitude of readouts and monitors that lined the walls. Nor the rising of the danger level or the lifescan monitor showing increased mental activity of the wings sole occupant.

What did get his attention, however, was the room suddenly turning an angry red and several more klaxons blaring, surprising the man and causing him to fall out of his chair.

"What the-" He declared, ripping of his headphones as his eyes shot over to the nearest monitor. "Oh, shit," He cursed as the reality of the situation hit him. "This had to happen on my shift..." Grabbing the radio at his shoulder, he switched it on and spoke frantically. "Hey, Captain, we got a big problem down here!"

"Acknowledged," The man on the other end of the line said calmly, walking through the gauntlet of security that led into Cain Marko's cell. Standing stiffly before the doors as they opened before him, he stepped inside, his stony features quickly absorbing everything he saw. Marko's actual cell was submerged in the floor, although the white smoke seeping through the cracks and into the room indicated the severity of the situation.

"Sir!" A white-coated technician raced towards him, glasses nearly falling from his face as he came to a sudden stop. "PLEXUS-1 is down!"

"Systems two-through-seven going down!" A second tech reported.

"Understood." The captain said, his eyes narrowing to thin slits. "We can't fix it down here. You will have to go upstairs and initiate the override sequence."

"Negative, sir," The first tech shook his head. "The system has completely shut me out. This is a bigger malfunction than we're equipped to handle."

The captain watched the Juggernaut's prison slowly rise out of the floor; fortunately, it looked as if the monstrous criminal was still paralyzed and unaware. The cellular paralysis bio-fluid was still in effect, but the replacement and filtration systems were connected directly with PLEXUS-1. With the system down, there would nothing to replace the current supply when it lost effect...

"Sir," He heard the first tech say. "How are we to proceed?"

Staring directly at Marko's unconscious form, the captain felt his stomach clench – had the man's eye just twitched? "We will proceed," He said slowly, not taking his eyes off the criminal in the center of the room. "By making a call."

* * *

"Alright," Ranma said, opening his eyes and staring intently at his companion. "You've had some time t'think it over. Ya think ya found the answer?"

"Aye, possibly," Rahne nodded hesitantly, suppressing the chill brought about by the cool morning air. Or maybe it was the memory of his strange yet enjoyable behavior towards her when he thought he was a cat. Closing her eyes, she directed her attention inward and away from the memory, ignoring the slowly dawning world around them and the magnificent view provided by the mansion's rooftop, where Ranma had decided to hold their morning training.

Taking a deep breath, Rahne let the world around her fall to the wayside, focusing entirely upon the homework assignment Ranma had given her earlier in the week. How did she make her ki do what she wanted it to do? What prevented it from simply doing whatever it wanted, or not doing anything at all?

"Remember," She heard Ranma say. "Ya don't need t'give me an answer if ya don't got one yet."

Cracking one eye open, she growled in her throat and gave him a glare, refusing to give in to the subtle taunt. "I need no more time," She replied.

"Then tell me." Her teacher retorted. "How do ya do it?"

Rahne grit her teeth, racing through her mind for the answer. Ki flowed through the body's spiritual pathways; channelling emotion into the pure energy allowed one to direct it at their will. But once it was there... how DID she make it do what she wanted?

Eye snapping open, Rahne felt her mind become clear. "I just do it." She said softly.

Ranma smirked. "And...?"

"An' that is it," The Scottish girl concluded. "It does what I want because that be what I want it t'do."

"Very good," Rahne's grin grew wide as Ranma nodded approvingly. "Your emotions are what drive your ki, and your willpower is what controls it. You become faster because you want to become faster, stronger because you want to become stronger."

"There 'as t'be a limit, though..." Rahne said, tilting her head questioningly.

"The limit is how much your body can take," The pigtailed boy replied. "How much extra energy your muscles can handle, combined with how much ki ya have actual access to." He paused, lifting one hand and forming a small ball of ki in his palm. "You can will your body t'create a ki blast, but if ya don't have the actual strength to handle the channelling, or the right amount of ki, or the right mindset and method of using your willpower, its gonna fizzle."

"How do ye-"

"Hold on," Ranma interrupted, clenching his hand and snuffing out the ball of ki. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small, black object. Taking a moment to look at the screen, he nodded and slipped it back into his pants.

"What is that?"

"Prof gave me this 'Blackberry' thing," He replied, standing up. "To get in contact with me since I can't hear his telepathy and stuff. He wants to see me and the rest of the team about something, so I gotta go."

"Wait," Rahne grabbed him by the sleeve, using him to pull herself to her feet. "How do ye gain the strength ye were talkin' about?"

"That's your next assignment," Ranma replied with a smirk. "Find out and come tell me."

Rahne pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why are all yuir lessons so Socratic?"

"I'd answer that if I knew what 'Socratic' meant."

"Ye teach mainly by askin' questions an' makin' me figure out th'answer." Rahne explained with a roll of her eyes. "Like Socrates did."

"Ah, well," Glancing over his shoulder at her, Ranma was silent for several seconds. "Lesson twelve," He finally replied, giving her a brief wave and leaping off the roof.

"Lesson twelve me cute arse," Rahne pouted, sitting back down. The younger students would be up for their morning session soon, but she still had nearly an hour to contemplate the new problem her sensei had given her. "More likely just enjoys makin' me sweat."

A bright red blush suddenly lit up her face as she reconsidered her choice of words. Her eyes began to glaze over, and she conceded that maybe that wasn't such a bad thing...

* * *

Catching the upper window-frame with his toes, Ranma swung himself into his room, bouncing off the bed and making a perfect ten-point landing with his feet inside his slippers. Preening briefly and taking in the imaginary accolades, his shoulders suddenly drooped. "Feh," He muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Nobody's ever around t'see me do the real cool stuff..."

"Well ain'tcha the little glory hog," a tired yet teasing voice said from the doorway.

Looking up, he smiled and bowed in Rogue's direction. "Ah, so I did have an admirer."

"Despite yerself," She replied, yawning. The Southern goth, who's hair had obviously not had even a passing encounter with a hairbrush, was leaning against his doorframe dressed in a pair of green pajamas. "Yes, ya do." Shaking her head in a vain attempt to get the sleep out of her eyes, she pushed herself off the doorframe. "C'mon, Professor X wants to see us."

"Yeah, I got his text message thingy on the doohickey he gave me," Ranma replied, falling into step next to the girl, adjusting his gait as she slipped an arm around his waist; he assumed it was to steady herself. The girl was not a morning person. "D'you know what it's about?"

"Nope," The girl shook her head, snuggling tighter against him – the boy was warmer than her bed, and if she couldn't have one she'd take the other. "He jus' said it was urgent. Maybe it has somethin' t'do with Jean?" She gave him a pointed look, which was ruined somewhat by the gaping yawn that split her face.

Ranma shrugged, not liking the direction this was going in. "I dunno-"

"Speakin' of," She continued, jabbing him in the ribs with a finger. "Mind tellin' me exactly what a 'null' is?"

"Uh, sure," Ranma gulped; the question reeked of foreboding. Glancing up, his eyes darting in every direction for some kind of distraction, he was keenly aware of the string of idiotic jabbering coming out of his mouth. A small part of his brain was trying to get his attention throughout this, but the vast majority of his consciousness was more involved in avoiding a potential eruption from the cute short-haired girl. In his experience, women didn't react well to him telling them things.

A distraction had presented itself as soon as they turned the corner, in the form of their sleepy team mates. "Oh, hey look," Ranma said, pointing. "Everyone is already here. Mind if I tell ya later?"

"Uh, yeah, no problem," Rogue said, giving him an odd look. "Ya know, ya coulda said that earlier instead o' hemmin' an' hawin' for the past two an' a half minutes."

"Yeah," Ranma chuckled, scratching at the base of his pigtail. "Dunno what came over me."

The next words on Rogue's lips were silenced by the arrival of their mentor. "I apologize for rousing you all so early," Xavier addressed them, his chair rolling out of the elevator, "but I have just received an urgent summons from Captain Stone."

"Who?" Ranma blinked, mildly annoyed that he had no idea who the professor was talking about. The fearful expressions on the faces of his team mates revealed that he was, in fact, the only one in the dark.

"Captain Stone," Scott repeated, suddenly alert. "From the penitentiary?"

"Woah, back up a second," Evan said slowly, taking an involuntary step back. "We're not talking about another Juggernaut breakout here, are we?"

"No, not yet," Xavier replied, steepling his hands and furrowing his brow. "But his containment unit has begun to fail."

"Got it," Scott said, shifting into strategic mode. "We'll be suited up and ready to go in five." He turned and started off down the hall, gesturing for the others to follow. "Let's move."

"No," Xavier said firmly, his voice stopping the team in their tracks. "I will be attending to this alone. However," he continued, cutting off Scott's protest, "with Ororo still visiting her sister, Logan out on the open road, and Tofu attending a medical conference in Boston, I am faced with a predicament as to your well-being.

"Therefore," The professor continued, turning his attention directly to the three oldest students. "Scott, Jean, Ranma, I am leaving the three of you in charge."

His decision was met with nearly a minute of complete silence.

"WHAT?" Jean exclaimed apprehensively at the same time Rogue exploded with, "Y'all CANNOT be serious!"

"I am quite serious, Rogue," Xavier replied calmly.

"No offense intended t'Jean," Rogue replied, crossing her arms across her chest. "But Ah don't think she deserves this kinda responsibility right now."

"Professor, Rogue is right," Jean agreed, shaking her head wildly. Her arms moved around her waist and her eyes turned downcast, hidden under her bright red bangs. "It's- it's just too soon... I-I don't think I can be trusted with this."

"Ah know Ah don't trust you," Rogue muttered.

"I have faith in you, Jean." Xavier told her, his lips quirking into an affectionate smile. "With the exception of what happened earlier this week, I know you to be nothing if not a responsible young woman. I know you can do this."

Ranma highly doubted that, and the way the others were glancing at each other showed they found Jean to be currently less-than-trustworthy. Heck, the redhead herself had admitted she couldn't be given that level of responsibility. Although, honestly, he was a little more perplexed at the notion that Professor Xavier considered HIM to be a responsible adult. Had the man already forgotten the whole 'lime Jell-O in the pool' incident?

"Well?" Xavier asked, breaking the silence. "Scott, Ranma, Jean... can I count on you?"

"Absolutely," Scott said without hesitation.

"Probably not," Ranma replied just as quickly.

"What was that, Ranma?" Xavier asked with an elevated eyebrow.

"Uh," Ranma chuckled, scratching the base of his pigtail. "I said, 'no prob, won't let ya down.'"

Xavier smiled and turned his gaze to Jean; the redhead flinched, her jaw dropping open and eyes shutting tightly. Incomprehensible noises escaped her throat for several seconds. "I-I-I..." She shook her head, and looking closely, Ranma could see her knuckles turning white as she clutched her sides. "I-I'm sorry, Professor." She finally said. "I ju-just can't. It's too soon. You say you have faith in me, but... I don't. And I don't think the others do either... hid everything for so long, abused everyone's trust... I don't think I can trust myself with this."

"You are certain of this?"

"I'm an addict," She whispered, seemingly to herself. Her head continued to shake, but no further explanation was given.

"Very well," Xavier sighed, moving his chair forward and gently grasping Jean's arm. "However, I want you to realize that your acceptance of your problem shows a great deal of the responsibility I spoke of."

A shaky smile came across Jean's lips, and she lifted a hand to clasp Xavier's affectionately. "Don't worry, Professor," She said, a degree of strength returning to her voice. "Ranma and Scott can hold down the fort. You just worry about your brother."

"Yes." The older mutant's expression turned anxious again, his brow furrowing as his mind was brought back to the current situation. "Thank you. I shall return in a few days at the latest." Without another word, he put his wheelchair in reverse and returned to the elevator, the doors sliding shut soon after.

"Alright," Scott said enthusiastically. "Since we're up, how does everyone feel about a quick session of pre-dawn Danger Room high-intensity interval training?" His suggestion was met with snorts of derision and annoyed grumbles as his friends staggered back to bed.

Scott pouted as Jean walked past him, throwing back over her shoulder, "Don't let the power of command go to your head, Professor S."

"What's the deal?" Ranma said, scratching his head as Scott followed after, seeming to give up on his own idea when a massive yawn came over him. "I thought it sounded like a damn good idea..."

"You an' Scott are th'only ones then," Rogue replied with a yawn, leaning her head against his shoulder. "The rest of us happen t'think gettin' more sleep is a better idea." She leaned up, brushing her lips against his cheek. "C'mon, lets go back to bed..."

"Nah," Ranma shook his head, turning around. "I think I'm gonna get some trainin' in. You can sleep if you wanna though." He didn't make it more than a few feet before a small but strong hand grasped his wrist, and he soon found himself being dragged backwards down the empty hallway.

"Ah said we should go to bed," Rogue said with a sly smile, pushing the door to his room open and shoving him inside. "Ah never said nothin' 'bout sleep."

"Rogue-"

"Wait, let me rephrase that," She said through a yawn, slamming the door shut. "Ah'm goin' t'sleep, you can sleep if ya want, but either way you're playin' the pillow."

* * *

Looking over the recipe she had been given, Kasumi couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She had been, and still was, quite excited to take the European Desserts course offered this semester, but the eldest Tendo daughter had been hoping to make something a little more challenging than a simple dacquoise.

Admittedly, to most culinary enthusiasts, putting together the layered French cake was no simple task, but to Kasumi, it seemed a little too... easy. She had already mixed the meringue, deciding to make it a little more difficult by attempting four layers rather than the traditional two, and had filled the ground almond mixture into the pastry bags while waiting for the oven to reach the desired 350 degrees.

Pressing the parchment paper firmly into both of the baking sheets, Kasumi caught a glimpse of her teacher making her rounds among the students, quietly observing and making sure the recipe was being followed as written. Hoping the instructor didn't notice the small modifications she had made to the original, Kasumi smiled sweetly at the large woman. Pretending to pay more attention than necessary to the act of squeezing the mixture into the coiled discs that made up the layers of the French treat, she was rewarded with a simple nod of approval as the woman made her way past.

The four discs came together with remarkable ease, and Kasumi smiled happily as the oven beeped seconds later. Picking up the first baking sheet, she glided to the over and pulled open the door. She was about to slide the first layer onto the top rack when she frowned suddenly. Something seemed wrong...

Slowly shutting the oven door, the young woman set the discs down and tapped a finger against her lower lip. The readout on the machine said clearly that the oven had reached the required temperature, but she had the oddest feeling that it was wrong. How could that be, though? There was no way she could tell just from the amount of heat she had felt coming from the oven. She had to be mistaken.

After a few more seconds, Kasumi shook her head slowly, staring intently at the device in front of her. No, something definitely was wrong; she could feel it. The oven was off by more than a few degrees – about twelve, unless she was mistaken. That simply would not do.

Taking a step back, Kasumi tapped a finger against her lips as the full schematics for the Bosch Evolution™ HDS71x2U Dual Fuel Range came forth in her mind – although, she honestly couldn't recall where she might have seen them. Thinking to herself for a brief second, she smiled and nodded decisively. She could fix it. Turning the oven off and removing the plug from the outlet, Kasumi grunted as she pulled the large appliance away from the wall.

Her classmates looked up briefly, curious as to the source of the strange noise. Upon noticing it was merely Kasumi, most turned back to their work, more focused on ensuring they received a good grade for their project than in witnessing another example of Kasumi Tendo's eccentricity. One girl muttered about her showing off again, and was the recipient of several glares from other students.

Pulling a Philips-head screwdriver out of her apron pocket, Kasumi twirled it in her fingers for a few moments before applying it to the screws holding the back panel of the oven in place. She didn't notice as the instructor approached her from the other side of the oven, watching with a raised eyebrow and features quickly drifting into irritation.

"Would you mind explaining what you are doing, Tendo-san?"

"Oh, sensei," Kasumi smiled up at her. "Don't worry, I'll have it fixed in a few minutes!"

"If there is something wrong with the oven," The teacher said through clenched teeth, "Then it is a job for the school's maintenance department, not you. Please return to your assignment."

"Oh my, I'm afraid I can't," Kasumi replied, grunting as she pulled off the back plate and set it against the wall. "The thermometer is reading the temperature as twelve degrees higher than it actually is."

"That isn't a problem," The older woman shook her head. "The dacquoise will turn out fine."

"Oh, but page 308, paragraph three of Nick Malgieri's How To Bake, third edition states that when making any kind of meringue," Kasumi stated, quickly locating the thermostat as the full text of the page ran through her mind. "The temperature must be exactly right. Anything higher or lower than stated could easily result in the failure of the dish."

The woman frowned at the girl's insubordination, and cast a small, unnoticed glare at the pair of students who appeared to be taking notes. "Nevertheless, I am the instructor in this class, and you are unnecessarily wasting time that could be spent making-"

"Finished!" Kasumi announced, turning the last screw to reattach the back plate of the oven.

"-your... I'm sorry?"

"I fixed it," The eldest Tendo daughter replied with a bright smile, pushing the appliance back into position and plugging it back in. Tapping a few buttons on the display, she clapped her hands excitedly; she didn't know how she was able to tell, but it was working properly now. "It wasn't too hard." She explained to the dumbstruck sensei. "A minor twist to the adjustment screw on the thermostat and that was all!"

"One good screw deserves another," One student stage-whispered to another; he was promptly struck with a frying pan by his irate girlfriend.

Her jaw hanging open, the instructor closed it with an audible click, her eyes narrowing at the young woman before her. Turning to look at the students that had formed a rough semicircle around the pair, she growled irritably as she stormed away. "Back to work, all of you!"

Kasumi smiled as the oven beeped, this time displaying the correct temperature. Slipping the baking sheets inside and setting the timer, she got to work on the buttercream.

On the other side of the room, standing by the door and watching with a curious expression, Dr. Jonah Ryan looked over to his associate. "Okay," he said in English, pouring a handful of Skittles into his palm. "I have to admit... I have no idea what's going on."

"She was making some French dessert, and stopped to fix the oven," Dr. Reiko Watanabe replied with a roll of her eyes. "Seriously, Jonah, you speak three languages. Did you think to make Japanese one of them?"

"So sorry," He apologized sarcastically, picking the red Skittles out from the other colours. "I was busy earning advanced degrees in molecular biology and two separate fields of engineering when they offered that class."

"I earned the same degrees you did, in half the time, and still managed to learn both German and Russian," Reiko pointed out, stealing a purple candy from his hand. Grinning in triumph as he sputtered for a response, she turned to look again at the young woman in the classroom.

Reiko and Jonah had been observing the young woman the entire day, having gotten permission to sit in on all of her classes from the school administration. While she didn't personally find the day of observation necessary, Jonah had insisted, wanting to see how the young woman worked in a regular scholastic environment before formally meeting her. European Desserts was her last class of the day, and Reiko's mind had already moved on to the planned meeting that night. The observation phase of science always was the one she found most tiresome.

"Have you seen enough yet?" She asked, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms.

"I could stand to see a lot more," Jonah replied with a grin; Reiko made a face as she saw his eyes move downward, his gaze still locked on Kasumi Tendo. Kicking him in the shin – and smirking as he jumped, his Skittles flying into the air – she turned away from the room and started down the hall. "Pig."

"Where are we – OW – going?" Jonah asked, limping as he followed after her.

"We've seen enough," Reiko answered simply. "Observing the next two hours of the class will reveal nothing new."

"Very well," The man replied, casting another glance over his shoulder. "Any conclusions?"

"Many," Reiko replied, clicking her tongue. "Many more than I thought this little venture would bring."

"She has an... interesting attitude." Jonah commented, pouring the last of his Skittles into his mouth. "Do you think she even realizes how much this school's environment is stifling her?"

"I doubt she does," Reiko shook her head. "It's not in her nature to think that way, I believe. Nor does she realize that each and every one of her teachers is blindingly envious of her intelligence. She's plainly smarter than any one of them, and by a considerable margin."

Jonah snorted. "Hell, she's smarter than most of my colleagues."

"So then you agree with me?" Reiko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I do," Her companion replied with a sharp nod, his eyes growing slightly distant as he stared off into space. "We'd be foolish to ignore this opportunity."

"Precisely," Reiko smiled, holding the door open for the man as they stepped outside. "We'll drop by her home tonight."

"One thing bothers me though," Jonah said, rubbing his stubbled chin. Reiko looked at him, an eyebrow raised questioningly. "How did she know the oven was even broken?"

* * *

Gently pushing open the sliding glass door, Nabiki shivered slightly as the morning air rushed into the living room of the Brotherhood home. Fighting back a yawn, she took a long sip of her French roast – black, three sugars - shivering again as the smooth bitter warmth sent delightful tingles throughout her body.

Her eyes drifted to the small clock on the microwave; 6:04 am. Shaking her head slowly, she turned to look out the open doorway again. Normally, Nabiki Tendo wouldn't even crack an eye open until 6:59 at the earliest, and anyone who tried to make her do so would quickly learn, quite painfully, that she was not a morning person. Only business had any hope of interrupting her beauty sleep and getting away unscathed.

Business was why she was awake right now. Business trumped everything.

Taking another sip of her coffee, the brown-haired telepath stepped out into the yard, her state of mind already becoming clearer as the caffeine took effect. Sliding the door shut, Nabiki walked slowly across the grass, her mind linking with her laptop and making a quick check of her email. Finding nothing of critical importance, she disconnected, focusing herself on the task ahead.

Coming to a stop at the base of one of the trees that dotted the Brotherhood's large backyard, she stared down passively at the boy sleeping at it's base. A large traveling pack sat next to him, the red bamboo umbrella he used as a primary weapon leaning against it. Nabiki eyed it for several minutes; where had the bag come from? She was certain it hadn't been here when he arrived, and she knew the boy hadn't left this spot.

Frowning, Nabiki tapped her foot slowly, putting the mystery aside as she tried to determine the best way to awaken Ryoga Hibiki. Obviously, any kind of physical encouragement would be shrugged off – not that Nabiki would debase herself with such methods. There were far easier ones open to her.

Breaking into the boy's mind was pathetically simple, and seconds later Ryoga's eyes sprang open. Jumping to his feet and landing in a ready position, Nabiki quietly sipped her coffee while waiting for him to figure out where he was. She held the hope that it wouldn't be too long of a wait – then again, Ryoga had always been one toy surprise short of a Happy Meal.

"Settle down, Hibiki," She said drily, snapping her fingers in front of his face. "You're in the same place you've been for the past week."

"Huh?" The lost boy blinked, staring dumbly at the woman across from him. "I felt something in my head..."

"Yeah, that was me, waking you up." Nabiki replied. "Telepath, remember? I didn't have time to let it happen normally, I have a schedule to keep. We have some things to discuss."

"Fine," Ryoga said, crouching next to his bag. Reaching inside he pulled out a portable stove, a small cookpot, and a can of baked beans; inserting the kerosene cartridge, he set it in front of him and lit it with a spark of green ki. "You've kept me here long enough, start discussing."

"Simply put," Nabiki started. "I have need of your services. I want to contract you to train my team for the next several months."

"Why should I?"

"Because I'm asking you nicely." Nabiki said, her voice dripping with honey. "My roommates need training, and you are the strongest person available for the job."

"Again," Ryoga said, pouring the beans into the pot and removing a long wooden spoon from a side pocket on his bag. "Why should I? What's in it for me?"

"Food and board," Nabiki replied, ticking off her fingers as she named the benefits she had decided to offer. "You have a challenge match with Ranma in the next few weeks, I can make sure you get there. I can help your training against him by providing my team as sparring partners. You can train in seclusion here, with or without your powers. And I'll let my sister know what a nice guy you are. Does that sound reasonable?"

"You had me at 'food'," Ryoga replied with a dazed grin. Nabiki raised an eyebrow; food was a better incentive to the lost boy than her currently single sister? Curious.

"Basic needs breed basic animals," Nabiki muttered to herself. "Your classes begin tomorrow morning at 6am sharp. You can pitch your tent here or sleep on the couch inside, I don't really care. Just don't wander off, don't damage the house..." she narrowed her eyes, "... and if you wake me up in the mornings I'll upload thirty gigs of horse porn directly into your brain."

Ryoga blinked, chuckling nervously. "You, uh... hehe... you can do that?"

"You want to find out?"

* * *

"Okay," Scott said, turning to face the pigtailed boy at his side. "We can do this."

"No question."

"We are in charge," The taller boy continued, uncertainty giving way to confidence. "We can handle them."

"I can kick any one of their asses if they get outta line," Ranma added, cracking his knuckles. "And they all know it."

"We don't need violence," Scott countered. "We have the weight of the professor behind us. He put us in charge. We have the authority!"

"Damn right!" Ranma grinned, clasping Scott's raised hand in solidarity. "Let's get all leadery on 'em!"

Disengaging from his team mate, Ranma pushed the door open and marched into the dining room. "ALRIGHT YOU LOSERS, ME AN' SCOTT ARE IN CHARGE, AND OUR FIRST ORDER IS THAT EVERYONE WEAR FUNNY HAT- hey are those pancakes?"

Rubbing his forehead as Ranma's attempted overuse of authority was waylaid by the power of his stomach, Scott sighed. "Oh yeah," He said to himself, watching through the open door as the pigtailed mutant drooled over the vast spread laid upon the dining room table. "This is off to a great start."

Plopping himself into an empty chair between Jamie and Jubilee, Ranma grabbed a plate. A few blurry seconds later, a towering stack of food sat before him, dripping with butter and syrup.

"Oh god," Jubilee groaned, turning slightly green.

"Cooooool..." Jamie breathed, his eyes filled with eager anticipation as he passed the toast to Roberto. "Are ya really going to eat all that?"

"If ya ain't careful, I'm gonna steal your waffle too." Ranma grinned, winking at the boy. Pouring himself a glass of milk – best to get some before Evan commandeered the jug – Ranma spun his fork in his hand and attacked.

Jubilee's eyes quickly scanned the table, looking for an open seat away from the living garbage disposal to her right. Spotting one across from her, she was about to make her move when a light reddish-brown blur streaked across the room. Solidifying into Rahne, Jubilee nixed the idea; she'd seen the lycanthropic girl eat, and sitting next to her would be no better.

Eying the food with eager anticipation, Rahne smacked aside the hands reaching for the sustenance that was rightfully hers. Grabbing a large serving plate, she greedily filled it with a small mountain of sausage and eggs. Sparing a glance at her mentor, the young Scotswoman was soon assaulting her food with unbridled avarice, unaware of the annoyed looks directed towards her from Kitty and Bobby - the former staring at her overturned box of cereal, the latter rubbing at his sore wrist.

"Oh, barf," Jubilee said, making another face as she sipped her green tea. There had to be another open seat somewhere... "How can you two eat so much every meal, every day?"

"A martial artist lives by his body.." Ranma said in between mouthfuls, his fork flashing across the plate.

"... an' yer body lives by yer stomach." Rahne finished, pouring syrup over the pile of meat on her plate. "An' I dinnae know if ye know this, Jubilee, but shapeshiftin' burns a lot o' calories."

"Not to mention how much th' Art burns off," Ranma added. Amara asked for the strawberries, apparently uninterested in the explanation.

"I guess," The girl replied distractedly, having located an empty area of the table several feet away from the pigtailed boy. Pushing her chair away from the table, Jubilee stood up-

_BAMF_ "Mmmm! Are those pancakes I smell?"

-and sat right back down, growling in the back of her throat. Of course Kurt would have to port into that exact seat. "I cannot catch a break..." she muttered, forcing herself to focus only on her tea; if she couldn't see them, then they didn't exist...

"Hey," Scott said as he took a seat across from Kurt, raising an eyebrow above his shades. "Who's -Hey!-" he ducked a flying muffin. "Who's making all of this?

"Good morning, Scott!" The door to the kitchen swung open as Jean pushed her way through it. In the redhead's hands was a large tray of waffles, and floating behind her in a single file were a vast assortment of syrups. "Dig in, there's plenty for everyone!"

"Jean?" The tables occupants – minus two martial artists, who took advantage of the distraction to claim the last of the bacon – stared at the girl in surprise. Jamie fell out of his chair and split into three more of himself. "How did you have time to make all of this?"

"Oh," Jean's smile strained a little as she set the tray down in the middle of the table, the bottles syrup landing in a counter-clockwise placement around it; Jamie #3 quickly laid claim to the boysenberry. "I, uh, couldn't get back to sleep after the professor told us about Juggernaut, so I thought, I would, um, surprise everyone with a nice hot breakfast?"

"That was almost-" He checked his watch. "-four hours ago."

"HEY! WHO ATE MY TOAST?"

"Don't worry about it, Scott," Jean said, agitation creeping into her eyes; two slices of toast buttered themselves and drifted onto Sam's plate. "Please."

"Jugga-who?" Bobby asked, looking up from his food for a split-second – just in time to miss a speedy blur steal a fork-full of scrambled eggs. "What kinda name is that?" A smaller hand swiped a slice of bacon.

"Forget about it man," Evan said, walking past the other boy as he entered the room. Grabbing the milk out of Roberto's hands, he poured a small glass, set it on the table, then proceeded to drink directly from the jug. "You do not wanna know."

"Jamie, just because there are four of you does not mean you get four helpings," Amara admonished the identical boys. "You're only going to make yourself sick when you come back together later."

The door swung open, and a yawning and freshly-showered Southern girl stepped directly into a flying waffle.

"Ahright," Rogue deadpanned, peeling the - fortunately – unbuttered cake-based breakfast delight off her face and dropping it into a nearby wastebasket. "Ah don't think this is th'safest place t'be right now..." Ducking and weaving through a gauntlet of reaching arms, moving bodies, and floating trays of fresh fruit, Rogue managed to snag her gorging boyfriend by the collar. With a grunt she yanked him out of his seat and, ignoring his cries of protest, hauled him out of the room.

"Rogue..." Ranma whined, staring forlornly at the swinging door that led into the dining room. "But... pancakes..."

"Ah'm sorry, hon," She apologized, letting go of his collar and hauling him up to his feet by the arm. "It's a bit too crazy in there for me this mornin'. Besides, Ah thought we could walk t'school today, grab some breakfast along the way, and... talk."

Ranma gulped, immediately forgetting about the food; coming out of a woman's mouth, that word meant trouble in any language. "T-talk?"

"Oh, ya big baby," Rogue said with a smile, kissing him on the cheek. "It'll be fine. Probably."

* * *

Leaning against the railing at the bottom of the stairs, Melinda watched with half-hearted interest as her cousin paced in front of the door, her fingers clenching and unclenching in rapidly-increasing irritation. Shaking her head in resignation, she tapped her pencil against her lower lip, turning her gaze back to the sketchbook she held against her forearm. Something wasn't right about that face...

"What the hell is taking them so long?" Emma shrieked, grabbing the door handle and throwing it open. "The courier was supposed to be here an hour ago!"

Melinda rolled her eyes. "Em, it is not that bad." Ah, that was it! The forehead was too wide.

"Not that bad?" Emma repeated, spinning around and glaring at her. "Are you serious? LOOK AT ME!" She pointed sharply at her head, referring to the dark brown roots that were, Melinda was forced to admit, quite prominent against the platinum blonde of the rest of her hair. "I cannot be seen like this!"

"Your vanity is showing, Em. Look, bitching about some slow delivery man is not going to change things," The other girl replied, shifting the grip on her pencil. "You should have thought to bring more Formula Thirteen in the first place."

"So I should have anticipated your littler sister breaking into the medicine cabinet, pouring it on her head, and running around for half the night pretending to be a skunk?" Emma questioned, giving Melinda a disdainful look. "You're right. It's so obvious now. I can't believe I didn't consider that."

"Point," Melinda replied, chewing on the end of her pencil. "So what do you propose to do about it?"

"Throttle the COO of FPX?"

"I mean aside from threats of violence against cousin Dmitri." She said, rolling her eyes and slipping her sketchbook into her schoolbag. "We have an hour before class starts. Even if it arrived this very second, you would not have time to apply it."

Emma growled, ripping the door open and sticking her head outside. Pulling it back in after several seconds, she sighed and looked up. "Find me a hat." She said with begrudging finality. "I'm going... ugh... casual today."

* * *

Standing in the open doorway of the Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House, Nabiki rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she stared at the small brown box she had discovered sitting on the front porch. "Did any of you order anything?" She called out over her shoulder.

Receiving several half-hearted negative responses, Nabiki turned her gaze back to the small package. Shrugging, she bent down and picked it up; maybe it was from Mystique?

Locating the shipping label on the bottom, the middle Tendo raised a slim eyebrow. "Well this is interesting..." A slow grin crossed over her face. Splitting the tape with a nail file fished from her pocket, she pulled back the flaps and looked inside.

"Oh yes," She breathed, her grin now threatening to split her face in half. "This is VERY interesting..."

* * *

Glancing over at the boy beside her, Rogue slipped her arm in his and squeezed it lightly as they walked through the mansion gates. "Y'know, we haven't done this in a while."

"Done what?" Ranma asked, his stomach interrupting to make it's displeasure known. "Skipped breakfast?"

"We'll stop at Burger Bomb on the way," She replied, rolling her eyes; trust the boy to kill the mood before it even manifested. "Honestly, stop thinkin' with your gut. Ah meant that it's been a while since we walked to school like this, y'know, just the two of us."

"Yeah," Ranma said, scratching the back of his head. "Scott usually gives us a ride. After breakfast."

"Well, maybe we should turn that offer down on occasion," Rogue said, smiling up at him – and purposely ignoring the continued references to breakfast. "Ah enjoy the alone time. It gives us plenty of time t'just talk."

"Hehe," Ranma chuckled nervously, now noticing the tightness in which the girl clutched at his arm. "Talk. Yeah. Ya mentioned somethin' about that when we left..."

"We do need t'talk," Rogue said.

"Can we do it later?" The boy asked hopefully. "After we get somethin' to eat maybe?"

"We talk now, or we ain't gettin' breakfast," The smile fell from her face, replaced with a look of suspicion. "What exactly is a 'null'?"

"It's just a technique I came up with," He replied defensively. "I was lookin' for a way t'make the nullification last longer without me havin' to touch the person the whole time. I came up with a way of combinin' it with my ki and temporarily blockin' a mutant's powers for a coupla hours."

"And ya used it on Jean?"

"I offered it to her the day we took Varnsen's final last semester," Ranma shrugged. Nodding, Rogue waited for him to elaborate. "She had a headache an' her mind readin' was actin' up. She didn't want it distractin' her durin' the exam. After that, she kept coming back for more..."

He trailed off, but Rogue thought she could piece together what happened after that. "So why didn't ya tell anyone 'bout Jean sooner?"

"She made me promise not to," The pigtailed boy answered. "I don't break my promises."

"Ah understand that," She replied, frowning slightly as she searched for the right words. "An' Ah generally agree with the notion. But..." she paused as they stopped at an intersection. Pressing the walk button with her free hand, she continued. "Don't ya think that some promises just ain't worth keepin'?"

"Breakin' any promise would damage my honour," Ranma's lips compressed into a thin line.

"An' is y'honour worth what happened t'Jean?" Rogue fired back, not willing to give any ground. "Keepin' her little secret kept her from seekin' the help she needed, and we can see how that all ended up. Someone coulda gotten hurt!"

"Do ya think I don't realize that, Rogue?" Ranma said, sighing in frustration. The walk sign lit up, and the pair stepped into the street. "I told her more times than I can count to talk to the Prof, and she said she would."

"But she didn't."

"She said she would!" Ranma insisted angrily. "Jean promised she'd get some help! How was I s'posed to know she'd break it, that she'd gotten addicted to th'nulls?"

"Ain't no need t'get snippy with me, mister!" She retorted, a tad more angrily than she intended. "Ya probably had the best of intentions-"

"Damn right," The boy muttered.

"-but you should have told someone!" She finished, cutting through a group of grade-school children waiting for their bus. "Dammit, Ranma, some promises should not be kept! Keepin' Jean's problem from the rest of us did her more harm than good." She looked up at him, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. "Understand what Ah mean?"

"I guess," Ranma agreed begrudgingly. "I just don't like breakin' my word. Mosta my life, my honour was th'only thing I had – I can't just give it up."

"Ah know," Rogue nodded, glancing right and left before walking out into the empty street; seconds later a car appeared, honking angrily. "But keepin' the wrong promise does more damage t'your integrity than breakin' it."

"Yeah, I guess."

"And don't use that null thing no more."

"The nulls are fine," The pigtailed boy said, shaking his head. "I mean, it uses the same energy as my normal nullification, and that ain't caused nobody no problems..."

"Jus' don't be stupid 'bout it," She teased.

"I make no promises."

"Smart," Rogue grinned. "Why didn't ya tell me Melinda kissed your girl-side?"

Ranma jerked suddenly, taken by surprise at the sudden change in topic. "How didja know 'bout that?"

"She told me," Rogue replied, looking up at him out of the corner of her eye. "At Duncan's party, durin' the fight with Risty. Ya told me her car got stolen, and ya told me you walked her home, but ya didn't say anythin' about turnin' into a girl or her lockin' lips with your redheaded half."

"Didn't wanna talk about it," Ranma said lamely, glancing away and taking a sudden interest in the local flora. Rogue could tell the boy didn't like being put on the defensive like this.

She pressed the matter. "Why didn't ya tell me that it happened? Despite what ya may insist, Ah am your girlfriend, Ranma, and Ah don't like you keepin' stuff like this from me."

Several seconds of silence passed between them, the void filled by the sounds of early-morning traffic. Rogue waited patiently for him to respond, only glancing away from his face to ensure she didn't lead them into a head-on collision with the growing number of people on the sidewalks.

"Ya know about my old fiancées, right?" He said finally, his voice taking on a nervous inflection. Rogue raised an eyebrow, surprised and secretly pleased he was willingly bringing up an element of his past.

"Is that was this is about?" She asked, her lips twisting into a small smile. "You were afraid Ah'd jump to conclusions if ya told me about it, just like they would?"

"How'd ya know about that?" Ranma asked, blinking in surprise.

"Nabiki told me," She replied, smiling a little wider at the cute expression of surprise on his face. "She told me an' Melinda about all of them months ago. Ah think blondie even bought some info on 'em..."

Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Rogue ignored the disgruntled muttering of the people forced to walk around them. Turning him to face her directly, she slipped her arms around his neck and smiled, rapping him on the back of his head with her knuckles. "Sugah, haven't ya known me long enough t'realize Ah ain't like those girls?

"Ah care about you, Ranma," She pulled him against her tightly, pressing her cheek against his affectionately. "Ah ain't gonna call ya a pervert for some stupid little misunderstanding, and Ah'm perfectly willin' t'let you explain situations like this." She pulled away, giving him a reproachful eye. "What grinds mah gears," she continued, poking him in the chest with two fingers, "is when ya don't tell me, and Ah gotta drag it outta you like this."

Rogue giggled at the bewildered look on the boy's face, and jabbed him in the chest again. "Understand?"

"Not really..." Her elbow embedded itself in his stomach and Ranma grinned weakly. "Okay, yeah, I get it... tell you stuff."

"Good," She said sweetly, lifting her arms behind his neck and staring into his eyes. Pressing her forehead against his, she spoke softly, her lips brushing against his and sending delightful tingles down her spine. "Jus' keep all that in mind if this ever happens again... okay?"

"O-okay," Ranma gulped, keenly aware of the many people openly staring at them. Rogue knew she wasn't helping matters when she pushed him up against the nearest wall and pressed her lips softly against his, but she was honestly past the point of caring.

"Now," She whispered, her words slightly muffled by his mouth, knowing the next thing she said was sure to drive him wild. "Let's get some breakfast..."

* * *

"I don't like it." Captain Stone declared, his stony gaze locked on the comatose form of Cain Marko. The officer in charge of the Juggernaut's holding cell was a tall, leanly muscled man in his mid-forties, his dark hair in the process of turning salt-and-pepper beneath his hat. "It's far too risky. There has to be another option."

"Shutting down the security grid is the only solution that makes sense," Xavier replied calmly, moving his chair to the officer's side. "I have reviewed all of the other scenarios, and not one of them is as likely to result in a success."

"But what happens during the twenty second reboot sequence?" Stone shot back, turning to look at the other man. "Twenty seconds may not seem like a very long time..."

"His paralysis should not wear off that quickly," He hypothesized, running the numbers in his head. "We should be safe."

"Very well," Captain Stone nodded reluctantly and turned to the uniformed officers standing by the door. "Alert the base to a code twelve! I'm not taking any chances."

Observing his half-brother through the three-inch thick reinforced glass containment unit, Xavier couldn't help but feel a certain unease rise within him. Twenty seconds was not a long time, but if the rest of the operation did not go properly, it would be long enough for Cain to regain consciousness.

He could not afford to make any mistakes.

* * *

Reviewing the Calculus homework she had completed the night before, Jean tried to ignore the spastic twitching of her left eye.

Seated on the bench that surrounded the hexagonal message kiosk in the center of the Quad, the redhead was desperately trying to keep her focus on the complicated mathematics before her. The homework wasn't especially interesting or engaging – far from it, in fact – but it was a welcome distraction from the slitted golden eyes that stared at her from inside her skull.

The eyes weren't real, of course. According to the Professor, they were merely a representation of her addiction, brought forth when the cravings became particularly strong – her mind associating absence of nulls with fear and terror. Shutting her eyes, Jean took a deep breath, holding it for several seconds before releasing it, imagining the negative feelings leaving her body and dispersing harmlessly into the air. She didn't need a null, didn't need anything that brought about manufactured feelings of strength and confidence.

_the nulls are natural_. A small voice whispered inside her head. _nothing manufactured about them... _That had to be her subconscious talking. Jean's eyes snapped open, and she chewed worriedly on her lower lip. Please let that just be her subconscious talking – she didn't know if she could deal with schizophrenia on top of everything else.

"Can't you give me one little peek?"

Blinking, Jean glanced around the corner of the kiosk, surprised that she no longer had the Quad to herself. The voice on the other side belonged to a girl dressed in a simple white t-shirt and white jeans. On her head, bill facing backwards, was a white baseball cap bearing a New England Patriots logo, beneath which came a long river of platinum blonde.

It took Jean several seconds to recognize the girl as Emma Frost. The girl was nearly unrecognizable outside of her usual top-of-the-line designer attire. Standing across from her, his back to Jean, was Scott.

"I've been dying to know the colour of your eyes," Emma said, reaching for the sunglasses on his face. "I bet they're blue..."

Jean's eye twitched.

"Try beet-red," Scott replied, intercepting the girl's hand. Jean pursed her lips; slowing down her breathing, she took a slightly more covert position as she listened in. "I didn't get much sleep."

"I bet they're gorgeous regardless," Emma said huskily, pushing the boy up against the message kiosk. "Just one little glimpse? Please?"

"Emma, no," Scott protested, his voice becoming more frantic as Emma pushed up against him. Jean narrowed her eyes, not noticing as the left one began to twitch again; Scott's desperation was eerily reminiscent of how she remembered Ranma acting when she begged for a null. "Really, don't. Y-you know I have an eye condition-"

"He can't show you, Ms. Frost." Scott and Emma both looked up, the latter pulling away and glaring at the newcomer.

Jean groaned as she recognized the voice. "Nabiki..." The brunette cyberpath had managed to sneak up on all three of them, and for all intents and purposes was casually perusing the postings on the other side of the kiosk. Jean instinctively raised her mental shields.

"As you already know, Scott has a terrible eye condition," Nabiki continued, running a finger down the glass surface of the board. Her bookbag lay on the bench, beside it a small brown package labeled 'Frost Parcel Express'. "Simply terrible, in fact. Can't handle light too well, I'm afraid, especially not on a bright, sunny morning like this."

"Eavesdropping, Ms. Tendo?" Emma replied, meeting the other girl's smirk with one of her own; her eyes briefly drifted down to the package, then snapped their steely gaze back up to Nabiki. "I would have thought such an act beneath you."

"Who's eavesdropping?" Nabiki asked, her lips twitching into a smirk. "I'm just keeping myself up-to-date on the latest happenings of this fine educational establishment. Did you know gymnastics team tryouts start next month?"

"Fascinating," The other girl deadpanned. Turning back to Scott, Emma smiled and gently touched his arm. "I must run, but I'll see you later, 'kay?"

"Yeah," Scott replied, scratching nervously at the back of his head; Jean narrowed her eyes again, unconsciously leaning in closer.

"One of these days, though," Emma said over her shoulder, walking with a deliberate sway to her hips, "Eye condition or no... I want to learn all of your little secrets."

"That will be..." Scott replied, pausing to find the right word. Jean rolled her eyes and looked away, grabbing her Calculus book and burying her nose in it. "An interesting day."

"You can thank me for the save any time, cutie," Nabiki remarked, looking over at the boy with a half-lidded gaze. "She would have had your shades off in another second."

"She had a point about the eavesdropping."

"So I was," Nabiki retorted with a shrug. "I was listening in while standing out in the open for all to see." Jean froze, suddenly feeling the other telepath's eyes on her through the kiosk. "Unlike Ms. Grey over there, who's listening in and trying to stay hidden."

"What?" She heard Scott say, and jumped as she saw him poke his head around the corner. "Jean? How long have you been there?"

"I wasn't spying!" The redhead blurted out. "I mean, um, that is-"

"Spying?" Scott lifted an eyebrow. "Who said anything about spy-"

Jean flushed. "Nabiki was accusing me of it, but I wasn't."

"Sure you weren't," Jean shot a glare at the other girl. Nabiki just smiled back.

"You were spying, weren't you?" Scott laughed, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "Don't tell me you're jealous!"

"Jealous?" Jean shifted her glare to Scott, brushing his hand away and blowing an irritating strand of hair out of her eyes. "Yeah, right, I'm jealous." She rolled her eyes, grabbing her bookbag and turning her back on the smirking boy. "As if I'd be at all envious of the little harem you have around you..."

Hitching her bag over her shoulder, Jean marched out of the quad, the twitch returning to her eye. Goddammit, she needed a null.

* * *

"Well," Nabiki said as they watched the redhead depart. "That was fun."

"For you, maybe," Scott replied with a sigh. "I shouldn't have teased her like that."

"Probably not," She agreed, stepping away from the bench and strolling over to the boy's side. "But after what happened earlier this week, I think she deserved a little payback."

"Payback?" Scott repeated, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face him. "Wait, you know about that?"

"Cutie, I'm willing to bet every telepath in the tri-county area knows about Princess' little power surge," Nabiki squeezed her eyes shut and leaned into Scott's arms, suppressing a shudder at the memory. "Her mental thrashings burst across the astral plane... it was like my mind was being bombarded with napalm..."

She shook her head, quickly collecting herself. "You're not a psychic, you wouldn't understand."

"It wasn't a picnic for her either, y'know," Scott said a little defensively, gently pushing her away. "I'm actually surprised your crew didn't try to take advantage of the situation."

"I'm hurt," Nabiki mock-pouted. "After all this time, after all we've been through, you still don't trust me."

"Considering the track record your team has..." Scott gave her a wry look."Can you blame me?"

"Not really," She smiled slyly, then leaned forward as she shot him a half-lidded gaze. "Enough about that. We have a date tomorrow night."

"Huh?" Scott blinked, then slapped himself in the forehead. "Oh, right, you tricked me into that at the carnival..."

"'Tricked' is an ugly word," The brunette smiled, tracing a finger lightly over Scott's chest. "I prefer the term 'skillfully maneuvered'..." She leaned in, pressing herself against him and smiling coyly. "Play your cards right, and you'll get to see the other ways I can 'skillfully maneuver'."

"Feeling a little more, uh, forward than usual?" Scott commented with a nervous chuckle. His eyes darted around and noticed, with some dismay, Kurt, Ranma and Rogue staring at them from the other end of the Quad – the latter with disinterest, the second with a moderate amount of sympathy, and the former laughing his ass off.

"Just upping the ante," Nabiki commented, stepping away as the morning bell rang, one finger lingering under his chin for what felt like an eternity.

Giving him a smile over her shoulder as she walked away, Nabiki glanced down at the small package under her arm and smirked. Ms. Frost had been looking rather plain today. "I wonder," She mused to herself, "How much is Ms. Frost willing to pay for her vanity?"

* * *

Setting down his bowl and letting out a satisfied sigh, Genma gave Kasumi a broad smile. "Fit for the gods, Kasumi-chan!"

"Why thank you, Uncle," She smiled back. The man was notoriously easy to please when it came to food, but Kasumi still appreciated the compliment – every chef enjoyed knowing her meal was a success with those who mattered most. "Would you like anything else?" She asked, her eyes drifting back down to the book in her lap – _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ (which, she had discovered, had almost nothing to do with Zen Buddhist practices. It also wasn't very informative in regards to motorcycles.) "I made a dacquoise in class that we can have for dessert."

"Well, since you mention it..."

"Uncle can't have any more to eat, Kasumi," Her little sister interrupted, setting her bowl on the table and smiling sweetly at Genma. The smile didn't reach her eyes. "He promised to show me that new move tonight, remember?"

"We should wait, Akane-chan," Genma answered, chuckling nervously as the smile turned into a glare. "I mean, we just finished eating, and – I'm not going to win here, am I?"

"Not likely," Akane said, standing up and grabbing the man's collar. "I need all the training I can get, uncle," She continued, dragging his unresisting form out to the dojo. "I want to kick the self-satisfied smirk off that little punk's face..."

"Have fun," Soun called out over his shoulder, helping himself to another bowl of rice.

"Oh let me get that for you father," Kasumi offered, reaching for his bowl.

"Not necessary, daughter," The Tendo patriarch replied, shaking his head. "You do so much around here, the least I can do is serve myself."

"Alright..." She replied, looking at the man quizzically. He'd been saying that a lot lately, offering to take care of the laundry or wash the dishes. She was happy to see her father doing more around the home, but at the same time it felt slightly odd to have someone sharing the household chores.

Kasumi blinked and looked up from her book; now that she thought of it, when was the last time he'd cried? She couldn't remember the last time she'd come across a puddle of tears on the floor...

Stirred out of her thoughts by the doorbell, Kasumi rose to her feet and brushed the wrinkles out of her apron "Who could that be?" She asked aloud. It was rather late, and the unexpected guests had generally stopped coming over after Ranma had disappeared. Hoping this wasn't someone seeking the missing pigtailed boy – they were usually polite, but tended to make such a mess when they visited – Kasumi straightened her hair and went to answer the door.

Opening it up, Kasumi was surprised to see Reiko Watanabe and an incredibly handsome unknown gentlemen. "Oh my," She breathed, smiling brightly as shock quickly gave way to hospitality. "Professor Watanabe, what brings you here?"

"Tendo-san," Reiko replied, returning the smile. "I apologize for dropping in so late. This is my colleague-" she nodded to the man, who smiled in greeting, "-Dr. Jonah Ryan. We'd like to speak with you about a few things."

"Certainly," Kasumi replied, stepping aside. "Please, come in. We were just finishing dinner." She bit her lower lip and tilted her head to the side. "Does this have anything to do with what occurred in your office last week?"

"In part," Reiko nodded, not elaborating further; Kasumi hoped the woman wasn't still upset with her over that. It had been an honest mistake. Dr. Ryan whispered something to his companion, glancing between the two women in confusion. Reiko rolled her eyes and repeated what Kasumi had just said in English. "My friend doesn't speak Japanese," She explained, following Kasumi into the dining room.

Her father was in the midst of lighting a cigarette when they entered the room. "Father, this is Professor Reiko Watanabe," The woman gave Soun a short bow. "And Dr. Jonah Ryan." The man made an awkward attempt at the same, and Kasumi couldn't help but giggle at the sight.

"It's just 'Doctor' Watanabe, now," Reiko broke in. "I resigned my position at Tokyo U this afternoon. I put a good word in for Minoru to take my place."

"Welcome," Soun greeted, gesturing towards the empty seats at the table. "I am Soun Tendo, Kasumi's father. Please, make yourselves comfortable. What brings you to our home?"

"Thank you," Reiko replied after relaying the man's words to her colleague. Taking a seat at the other end of the table, Jonah following her lead and sitting at her right, she continued. "Dr. Ryan and I are here to speak with Kasumi, actually. It is in regards to something that occurred in my office last week."

"I see," Soun nodded, standing up and heading towards the kitchen. "In that case, Kasumi, please sit down. Would anyone like some tea?"

"There's a fresh pot on the stove, father," Kasumi said, a little overwhelmed at suddenly being the centre of attention. "Oh my, I'm sorry," She said, switching to English – much to the surprise of Dr. Ryan. "I didn't mean to cause any harm last week. It was an honest mistake."

"You speak English very well," Jonah remarked, flashing her a smile. Kasumi's cheeks coloured faintly in response. "Is your father fluent as well? I'd hate to leave him out of what's to come."

"I haven't spoken it since high school," She admitted with a faint blush, playing with her apron ties. "I didn't think I remembered any. Father doesn't speak it, but he understands the language very well."

"Your accent is negligible," Reiko broke in, shooting Jonah a dry look. "Anyway, Ms. Tendo, there is no need to apologize. You did nothing wrong."

"In fact," Her companion added. "We would like to thank you."

"Thank me?"

"Yes," Reiko nodded, smiling in gratitude as Soun arrived, pouring each of them a fresh cup of tea. "The items you happened upon in my office were sent to me earlier that day by Dr. Ryan, and were related to what is known as the Biogenetic Analysis System-"

"Or 'biobed'," Jonah interjected.

"-or the... ugh... biobed," Reiko nodded, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "A horrible name devised by a Star Trek obsessive, but it's managed to stick, despite the fact that it doesn't even look like a bed." She gave Kasumi a quizzical look. "Have you heard of the Carcinogenetic Diagnostic Scanner?"

"The CarDScan-DG1900v3?" Kasumi nodded, tilting her head as a diagram of the medical device formed in her mind. "A revolutionary full body-scanning apparatus designed for early-detection and diagnosis of cancer, as well as detailed internal imaging for surgery prep." She paused, adding. "It was featured in an article about two years ago in the New England Journal of Medicine."

"That's the one," Jonah nodded, filling a bowl with leftover rice. "I was quoted on page seven."

"I was quoted on pages three and eight," Reiko countered, grinning at the glare Jonah sent back at her as he silently chewed on a pickle. "To cut straight to the point, the blueprints you happened upon are a vastly upgraded version of the CarDScan, and is part of a much larger project currently known as the Medical Diagnostic Array."

"It wa' di'covered," Jonah said, swallowing a mouthful of rice in mid-sentence. "That the original biobed is capable of detecting more than it was intended to. Nearly from the beginning, doctors have been getting results from it that had more information than what it was intended to find."

Kasumi glanced over at her father; the man seemed completely lost.

"The CarDScan was delving into the patients very genetic structure," Reiko picked up the explanation. "Going far beyond what it was initially designed for. Locating hereditary genes that could indicate cancer and other diseases, almost to the point of prescience. It didn't give enough information, but it did give the original designers ideas."

"I apologize for interrupting," Kasumi broke in, her fingers still twisting nervously around her apron strings. "But why are you telling me this?"

"You fixed it," Jonah said simply. "We'd been having difficulty with aspects of the optics system, so I sent them to Reiko. Optics is one of her specialties."

"But before I could even take a look at them," Reiko broke in, a small frown flashing across her lips. "You... did what you did. You fixed every problem, and even improved upon it, and not just in regards to the optics. Not that you did anything I wouldn't have eventually done, but-"

"Basically," Jonah interrupted, chasing the last grain of rice around with his chopsticks. "We are beyond impressed by your work. What you did has solved problems across the board, from internal programming to the projected size and cost. We've finally managed to bring Reiko into the project proper after much cajoling, and after consulting with the other project heads in Cambridge, we would like to extend the invitation to you."

Kasumi blinked. "Could..." She swallowed, a small lump in her throat, "Could you please repeat that?

"We would like to offer you, Ms. Tendo," Reiko said with a click of her tongue. "A research and development position, creating the next generation of medical technology in Massachusetts."

"Oh my," Kasumi breathed, raising a hand to her cheek. She suddenly felt very light-headed. "That... that is what I thought you said..."

* * *

"Kitty Pryde, I am amazed."

"Yeah," Kitty said, nervously looking up at the woman standing over her shoulder. "I, uh-"

"I mean, I am truly astounded," The teacher continued. "Most people can't program such complicated game protocols without crashing their computer. You, on the other hand," The woman gestured to the three smoking machines sitting in front of the girl. "Have managed to crash three."

Kitty flushed a bright red as the other students laughed at Ms. Cregg's comment. "I'm just an overachiever like that, I guess," She grinned weakly. "I can do better, I just, y'know, didn't get enough sleep last night."

"I know you can do better, Ms. Pryde," The teacher responded, adjusting her glasses. "You're one of the best in the class. But why don't you spend the rest of the period-"

"C'mon! Go for it!"

"Heh, this is nothin'!"

"Ooo, look out!"

"-writing up..." Ms. Cregg trailed off at the voices coming from the other side of the room. Kitty, relieved to be out of the spotlight, watched as the teacher sighed and approached the two students. Curious, and eager to get away from programming for a few minutes, she slid her chair closer and saw Risty leaning over the shoulder of a scrawny boy with red hair in a bowl cut and glasses with very large frames. The latter was sitting at a computer, fingers flashing across the keyboard as he ignored his assignment in favour of playing _Rampage III: Killborg Revolution._

"Look out!" Risty exclaimed in a whisper that carried across the room. "It's gonna infect you wi-"

"Please," The boy arrogantly interrupted. "They don't call me 'Arcade' for nothing. That guy was dead the moment he was programmed."

Of course, knowing Webber Torque, he'd probably already finished the project as well as the next one. Kitty found herself unable to be jealous of the boy's programming skill –he seemed to have traded his grasp on reality in exchange.

Risty lurched back as Ms. Cregg stepped next to the machine, folding her arms over her chest and staring at the red haired boy with a disdainful expression. 'Arcade' apparently didn't notice, involved as he was in destroying horde after horde of flesh-eating robots with a rocket-propelled crowbar-gun.

"Uh-oh," Risty stage-whispered, tapping 'Arcade' on the shoulder. "You better sign off, Webber..."

"Wait, wait!" Webber insisted, grinning at the screen with malicious glee. "I'm about to put this box into overdrive!" A purple-sleeved arm intruded upon his view. "No!" He cried out as a finger struck the power button. "What'd you go and do that for?"

Kitty giggled as Ms. Cregg removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Mr. Torque," She sighed. "I think we've crashed enough computers for one day..."

The bell thankfully rang at that point, and Kitty giggled again at the look of the relief that came across the teachers face – relief that was equally felt by the brown-haired girl.

"Hey Kitty!" She heard Risty call out to her as soon as she entered the hallway. Slowing down so the British girl could catch up, Kitty smiled in greeting. She didn't know Rogue's friend too well, but Risty seemed nice enough.

"What's up?' She asked as Risty fell into step beside her.

"You know of anything fun going on this weekend?"

"Nothing," Kitty shook her head. "I've had my ear to the ground all week, but Duncan's was the only party anyone's been saying anything about."

"That was days ago!" Risty whined. "Someone has to have planned another one by now!"

"At least you got to go to one this week," Kitty grumbled. Stupid Duncan and his 'juniors and seniors only'...

"I wouldn't be envious," The Brit replied, holding her nose. "It was a Duncan Matthews party. If it weren't for the fight, it wouldn't have been worth remembering."

"Apparently, not everyone thinks so," She smirked ruefully. "No one else wants to try showing him up. The party circuit is completely dry."

"You know..." Risty said, a contemplative look coming over her face. Kitty raised an eyebrow and nodded for her to continue. "If we knew someone who's parents were gone for the night..." She grinned, walking ahead of the other girl and pushing a pair of doors open, hopping down the short stairway on the other side. "Well, we could throw our own little bash. "

"Hey..." Kitty grinned back, an idea sparking to life inside her mind. "You know something..."

* * *

It had been taunting him all morning – hell, all damn week, - staring him in the face with it's emptiness. Ranma glowered back at the canvas, unwilling to let some inanimate object get away with making him feel like an idiot.

After an entire week spent studying the pieces in the gallery and observing the other students in his class, the pigtailed mutant was still no closer to figuring out how they infused their work with ki. None of them seemed to know they were even doing it, but Ranma could feel it; focusing his senses, he could feel the small trickles of emotional energy. The girl with the nose ring, emanating fear; the boy in the corner, radiating lust; Melinda, on the other side of the room, running the entire spectrum from anger to ecstasy.

His sixth sense prickled in the back of his mind; the blonde girl was looking over at him again, anger spiked with fear and happiness rising as she did. Ranma glanced over at her briefly, and she stared back at him. Averting his gaze, he forced himself to focus on the canvas again.

How did they do it? He could see the scene he was supposed to paint, set up in the middle of the room – an arrangement of action figures raiding a dollhouse filled with anatomically impossible Barbies – but when he tried to bring the brush to the canvas, he drew a complete blank. Ranma realized he could mimic the motions of those around him, but past efforts had proven that doing so wouldn't be enough. He didn't even really care about the painting aspect, but it seemed the only way to learn how to do what the others in the class did.

Looking up again, Ranma saw Dante glancing between his watch and the clock. The period was nearly over, and he had nothing to show for it once again.

"Well," Dante said, pausing as the bell rang, signaling the end of second period. "That's all folks. Get outta my sight, I'm sick of every last one of ya. See ya next week."

Sighing again, Ranma stowed his gear and grabbed his bag, all the while wondering how he was supposed to do an independent project when he didn't even know how to paint. Next up was an hour of Advanced Sculpture, which would likely come to the same outcome as Advanced Painting. Exiting the room, he nodded to Dante as the older man fell into step beside him.

"Still no luck?" The teacher asked. "I've already given you two inspirational speeches. Do I need to break out the hand puppets for a third?"

"Break out the hand puppets and I break your hands."

"Awww..." Dante pouted briefly, apparently quite disappointed in the lack of enthusiasm towards amateur puppetry.

"Ain't nothin' to worry about," Ranma lied, stopping outside the Sculpture room. "I'll figure it out."

"You can ask for help if you need it," Dante offered, leaning against the wall next to a small display case. "From me, from Lorelei when she gets back, from Melinda if you want. Trust me Ranma, every artist has gone through exactly this – you understand the mechanics, and you understand the mentality." He gave Ranma a pointed look, stepping away from the wall and heading into the Sculpture studio. "What you have yet to figure out is how to combine the two."

"He is right, you know," Melinda said, stepping to his side. "You can ask me for as much help as you need, and more."

"Don't worry 'bout it," Ranma said with a dismissive shrug.

"I think I have plenty to worry about," She shot back, grabbing him by the arm. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I ain't been avoidin' ya," Ranma said, tugging his arm out of her grasp as the bell rang. Watching Ranma enter the room, Melinda pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing as she stared at his pigtail. No doubt about it, he was definitely, purposely ignoring her – not only that, he was lying about it to her face. But why?

Gripping her braid tightly, a low growl rose in her throat. "I will get to the bottom of this," She muttered softly. "No one ignores Melinda Frost."

* * *

Nabiki lifted an eyebrow as her locker slammed shut in her face. Glancing to the side, she smirked. "Ms. Frost."

"Ms. Tendo."

"You look so..." Nabiki paused, tapping a finger against her Statistics book as she made an obvious show of trying to find the right word. Behind her a brown-haired boy Emma didn't know shared a glance with a white-haired one. "Common."

"You would be the one to know," She retorted, crossing her arms and glowering down at the shorter girl.

"Problem Nabs?" One of the boys said, stepping up to flanking positions behind her.

"Just having a chat with Ms. Frost, Lance," Nabiki replied, her eyes not moving from Emma. "Nothing to be concerned with."

"Make yourselves scarce," The blonde ordered the two boys. "This is a private conversation."

The boys bristled but Nabiki simply nodded. "Go on to class, boys," She said sweetly, "Ms. Frost is correct, we do have things to discuss. I'll meet back up with you later at the place."

Lance shared a glance with the boy Emma didn't know, but did as requested. Emma and Nabiki stared at each other silently, the halls slowly clearing around them as students rushed to class. Soon the two girls were alone, save for the presence of a short, scrawny boy sitting in a hunched position at the end of the hall, far enough out of earshot to satisfy her.

"Classes are starting, Ms. Frost," Nabiki finally said, tapping her fingers against the cover of her book. "If you have something to say-"

"Where did you get it?" Emma snapped, taking a challenging step forward.

"I suppose you are referring to the package that was mistakenly delivered to my home?" Nabiki asked rhetorically, shifting her backpack around and unzipping it.

"Of course I am," Emma made a mental note to find the name of the courier. The fool shouldn't be handling family shipping.

"This item right here?" The other girl smirked, showing the contents of her bag to Emma. The blonde's hands reached for the bag only to grasp nothing but air as Nabiki snatched it back. "Afraid I haven't seen it," She said sweetly.

"Stop playing games, Ms. Tendo," Emma said icily. "I want that package."

"I assure you, Ms. Frost," The Tendo girl answered. "That I am playing no game. I simply am not satisfied that you are the Emmalynne Grace Ophelia Frost the delivery is intended for. I need some further proof that this belongs to you." She grinned mischievously. "Perhaps if you told me what was inside?"

Emma narrowed her eyes; that girl damn well knew what was inside. "Opening another person's mail is a federal offense."

"Punishable by a two-thousand dollar fine or no more than five years in prison," Nabiki recited after a moment, a small frown briefly flashing across her face. "Assuming, of course, that the item in question had been sent through the U.S. Postal Service. Since it wasn't, however, the idea if punishment is rather hit or miss, is it not?"

"I would hate for you to have to find out for certain."

"I would hate to see you without that stylish cap."

"As you plainly demonstrate," Emma said, gesturing towards the other girl's simple ensemble - tight blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a white 'standby' symbol across the chest - with a derogatory wave, "One cannot always adhere to the latest fashions. Mr. Summers told me that I manage to pull off this ensemble quite successfully."

"Some boys are too nice to say what they really think."

"Must you constantly tout your experience?"

The bell rang, and both girls glared frozen daggers at each other for several seconds. "This has been most productive, Ms. Frost," Nabiki finally said, hitching her bag over her shoulder. "But I must be going."

"Yes, Bitchery 101 is very harsh on tardiness I hear," Emma replied, walking past the girl. "You wouldn't want to be late."

"Now who's touting their experience?" Nabiki replied frostily, heading off in the other direction. Emma resisted the desire to fire off a parting jab, but just barely. Looking down at her clenched fist as she walk, she narrowed her eyes upon seeing that her nails had nearly broken the skin of her palm.

She hated being forced into a draw.

"That was a good move, blondcakes," The scrawny boy said as she approached. He was now perched atop a dark green trash can, and Emma had to fight off a gag when he flashed her a grin of yellowed parchment. "Keepin' it to words is smart. I'd hated to have bruised up that pretty face of yours if things had gotten nastier with the boss-lady."

Emma glared at the disgusting boy without breaking her gait, who responded again with his vile grin. No other words were exchanged as she left him behind, although she could hear him chuckling behind her back. It didn't matter – she didn't debase herself by dealing with flunkies.

Ms. Tendo had her package, and she knew what was in it. This was no longer about protecting her reputation.

* * *

"...and thus, in the year 1066, Harold Godwinson was crowned king." The teacher paused, stepping away from the blackboard and looking over the students. Risty Wilde rolled her eyes; he was going to ask a question now, and who would he pick to answer it?

"Ms. Wilde," he continued. "Can you tell us who the other claimants to the throne were?"

"Probably not," Risty answered without a second thought. Keyes was using the royal 'we' again – didn't he know how big of an arse he sounded? "I know who the current Queen is, does that help?"

"We are rather surprised, Ms. Wilde," Mr. Keyes replied, a little more crossly than the British girl liked. "This is the history of your native country."

"Imagine the irony I must feel," She yawned, slouching in her seat. The teacher frowned at her, and she smiled back pleasantly. European History was so boring.

"Anyone else?" He asked. Several hands shot up, and Risty went back to ignoring the class, her mind drifting immediately to the next phase of her plan.

Things were proceeding nicely with both plans, but the hard part for each had yet to come. Gaining the trust of Ranma had been relatively easy, especially after the fight at Duncan Matthew's party. Nothing brought a pair of martial artists together like some friendly violence, and it had the added benefit of establishing herself as a serious fighter in the boy's mind.

And who else but a serious fighter would have a scroll containing incredibly powerful secret techniques?

The difficult part was in opening the scroll. Ranma was the only one who could do that, but simply asking him to open it would raise questions. Why she had a scroll that only he could open being the most prevalent, not to mention his reaction if he recognized his father's handwriting. She knew for a fact that she couldn't tell him the truth.

Risty's hand drifted to her side, feeling the pocket the scroll was kept in. A credible backstory might suffice, as long as-

Wait.

She felt along the outside of the pocket. Something was wrong.

She patted the pocket.

It felt empty.

Panic rising, she shoved a hand into the pocket and grasped at nothing.

It was empty.

"No..." Risty whispered, an icy chill running up her spine. It was gone! Her desk crashed into the wall as she bolted from her seat, instantly bringing the room to a standstill. "NO!"

"Ms. Wilde!" Mr. Keyes bellowed, dropping his chalk in surprise. "What is the meaning of this ou-"

"GONNA HURL!" She shouted the first thing that came to her mind. Holding a hand over her mouth and bulging her cheeks, she raced down the wide path that quickly formed and out the door.

Dropping the facade as soon as she was out of sight, the British girl frantically checked her other pockets, quickly coming to the conclusion that the scroll wasn't anywhere on her person. When had she lost it? Where could she have left it? Bloody hell, why hadn't she been more careful? Of all the days...

Her gym locker! It had to be there, in her spare pants! Skidding into the nearest stairway, Risty cleared the first flight down in a single jump.

* * *

Ranma glared at the lump of clay. He poked it with his finger. At least now he'd managed to do something this time, unlike with the canvas. Ranma 1, Stupid Clay 0.

"MRS. LECOUVREUR," The sudden crackling of the intercom was a welcome distraction.

"She still ain't back yet," Dante muttered, glaring disdainfully at the wall-mounted speaker.

The message continued, unaware of the substitute Sculpture teacher's interjection. "WOULD YOU PLEASE SEND RANMA SAOTOME TO PRINCIPAL KELLY'S OFFICE RIGHT AWAY. THANK YOU."

"Aye-aye," Ranma popped out of his seat, giving the wall-mounted speaker a quick salute. Glancing over at Dante, the tall man nodded and shooed him away, quickly returning his attention to another student.

* * *

"Bloody hell," Risty growled, slamming her gym locker shut; clenching her fist, she slammed it into the door, noticeably denting the metal. The property damage did little to alleviate her anger.

Snapping her fingers, Risty dashed out the door and back into the main school building.

* * *

"And that brings us to the end of the grievances, Ms. Gabler," Principal Kelly said, closing the folder before him and looking up at the Asian-American girl with severely-short navy-blue hair slouched in the chair across from him. "Do you have anything to add?"

"Yeah," The girl said, her dark brown eyes casting a disdainful look in his direction. "Screw the grievances. I quit."

"I'm sorry?" Kelly blinked, stopping halfway as he rose from his seat. The blue-haired girl sneered at him, crossing her toned arms across her chest.

"You heard me, sir," She made the honorific sound like a taunt. "I quit. Screw the basketball team, I don't need that sh-crap."

"I see," Frowning, Kelly nodded, sliding the folder into his open desk drawer. Why did so many students feel they needed to be confrontational with him? Natural teenage inclination to oppose authority in all forms, perhaps? "That is your right. Return your uniform and equipment to the head coach by the end of the day."

"What?" The girl said, springing to her feet in surprise. "You're just gonna let me effin' walk?"

"I said it's your choice," Kelly replied evenly, walking past the tall girl on his way to the door. "I have no issues with you deciding to quit playing on the team, Ms. Gabler. It won't dismiss the harassment allegations against you, but your team mates may drop them-"

"You can't be serious!" She cried, staring at him incredulously. "I was all-state last year! I led the district in rebounds, I-"

"_Principal Kelly,"_ Dorothy's voice came over the intercom._ "Ranma- heehee- Ranma Saotome is here to see you."_

"Thank you Dorothy," Kelly said, opening the door and glancing outside. Ranma was leaning up against Dorothy's desk, balancing a stapler and two coffee cups on his nose. The secretary was watching, hiding a giggle behind a raised hand; Kelly lifted an eyebrow upon seeing her wedding band not at it's usual place on her ring finger. "Ms. Gabler, if you wish to reconsider, then please address the grievances seriously and make an appointment to see me again next week." He gestured towards the open door, and the short-haired girl grumbled angrily under her breath as she stepped out. She stopped for a moment to give Ranma scathing glare before storming out of the administrative hub, slamming the door behind her.

"Did you do something to get on Ms. Gabler's bad side?" Kelly asked, leading the pigtailed boy into his office.

"Who?"

"The very tall girl that just left," Kelly answered, rifling through the folders on his desk. "She gave you the evilest eye I've ever seen on her way out."

"Never met her," Ranma gave a disinterested shrug. "Ya wanted t'see me? I ain't in trouble am I?"

"If you are, no one's told me," The principal replied with a chuckle. He blinked several times as a blurry image of an object crashing into the middle of a soccer game flashed through his mind. "I just thought you might like to know," He continued, shaking the strange picture out of his head, "I have made some discoveries in regards to the mystery that is your class schedule."

"If this is 'bout the art classes," Ranma said, taking a seat in one of the chairs across from the desk, "Ain't no need t'get it fixed. I decided to stick with 'em."

"Really?" Kelly lifted an eyebrow in genuine surprise. "Two weeks ago you seemed quite desperate to have them fixed. Have you managed to develop an interest in the fine arts in so short a time?"

"Kinda," Ranma said, and Kelly could sense a note of evasiveness in his tone. He clearly didn't want to give the actual reason behind his decision, but Kelly was willing to bet it had to do with the only real reason teenage boys did anything – there was a girl. He himself had taken three years of Spanish classes for that exact reason.

"Well, whatever your motivations," The older man said, giving the student a sly wink which was returned with an uncomprehending blink. "I'm pleased to hear things have worked out."

"Not like I really got a choice..."

"Well, you do have a choice," Kelly said slowly. "However, in your case, the choice would mean summer school. Without these three courses, you don't have the credits to graduate."

Ranma blinked. "I couldn't just transfer to another class?"

"There is not a single class at Bayville High you would be able to transfer into," Kelly shook his head, turning the contents of the folder around to show the pigtailed boy. "See, it's rather interesting. This is a list of classes your have already taken or attended the equivalent of in Japan," he explained, pointing to a list that ran along the side of the paper. "You can't take any of these again. Over here-" he pointed to the second sheet, "-are the classes that you either do not meet the prerequisites for or are too full to accept any more students.

"And these," he continued, pulling two more sheets of paper out from under the first two. "Are the classes that have 'kindly requested' that you not be allowed to attend."

"What?" Ranma exclaimed, taking the list from the man and looking them over. "Okay, I can understand some of these, but why is Weight Training and Conditioning on the list?"

"It's taught by Coach Seaborn," Kelly said, sitting back in his chair with a wry chuckle. "The one you beat in an arm-wrestling match and called a pathetic weakling last year."

"Food Studies?"

"First time I've ever heard of someone being overqualified for a high school class."

"Every single lab science course?"

"The chemistry lab fire really shook them up. Mr. Saotome," He cut off the next question, taking the papers back from the boy and returning them to the folder. "None of this is important anymore, is it? You've decided to continue with the classes, and I think that is a fine idea."

"I still wanna know how I got in 'em."

"As do I," Kelly nodded, glancing down at a copy of Ranma's schedule. "And how you appear to have the prerequisites for the advanced art classes in your transcripts despite never having taken them."

"Ya think someone set this up?"

"It's a possibility," He agreed. "The question, though, is why? It's likely nothing sinister, but I'd like to get to the bottom of this," He smiled at the boy and stood up. "If for no other reason than I love a good mystery."

"Yeah," The pigtailed boy nodded, smoothly rising from his seat. "Lemme know if ya find anythin'."

"Don't worry," Principal Kelly told him, walking him out the door. "Head on back to class now, and I'll let you know the moment I find anything out."

Closing the door behind Ranma, Kelly stared at the pattern of the wood grains on the bookcase for several seconds. "Yes..." He said softly to himself, another blurry and dreamlike scene of inhuman violence flitting on the edges of his memory. He removed a heavy metal ball from the high shelf, thinking back to the frighting instance earlier that week when it crashed through his window and into his desk. "I do enjoy a good mystery..."

* * *

Shutting her locker, Risty slammed her head against it. Spinning around, she sank to the floor in frustration, racking her brain to think of any other place she could have lost it.

"Alright," She whispered to herself, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. "Panic is not going to help you here, girl." She inhaled several more times, her heart rate gradually slowing and her calm soon re-established. "Think! When was the last time you know you had it..."

Moments later Risty was on her feet and speeding through the halls.

* * *

Stifling a yawn as he slid down the railing to the ground floor, Ranma found himself unable to truly care about his schedule anymore. While he still found the concept of art almost completely foreign, he could not deny they had taken an interesting turn. Admittedly, it was more in regards to the strange use of ki he'd witnessed than any kind of actual interest in the main subject matter of the class, but it was something, right?

He did wonder how the mishap had happened, and he was really curious who had engineered it. The addition of classes he'd never taken made the entire situation far stranger, and definitely pointed to an external influence.. There were far too many factors thus far revealed to think it was still a simple scheduling mistake or clerical error.

Touching down on the ground floor, Ranma paused. To the right were the doors that led outside to the Quad, and to the left led a long, boring trek through numerous halls that would just take him to the other end of the Quad, where the stairs down into the art department were.

"Gee Ranma," he said sarcastically. "Wonder which way you should go."

Cutting through the Quad, Ranma stopped for a moment by the lunch tables to bask in the sunlight. It was definitely too nice a day to be inside; the temptation to skip out and roofhop through the town was very strong.

"Stupid responsibilities," He muttered to himself. He'd get his ass chewed out by a dozen people if he did that.

Stretching his arms out behind his head, Ranma yawned again as he resumed his leisurely stroll. He made it about three feet before he felt a sudden prickle at the back of his neck.

Slipping into a subtle defensive position, Ranma checked his peripherals and found nothing to either side of him. Spreading his senses, the pigtailed mutant slowed his breathing and focused his ears, but heard nothing that could be attributed to an attacker lying in wait. His ki detected no one in the immediate vicinity; focusing it tighter, he made a wide sweep of the surrounding area.

"Weird," He said after several minutes. The feeling was still there, but he couldn't find anything that could be the source. Keeping his ki spread, Ranma took another step, then spun ninety degrees to the left when he felt an almost imperceptible tug. It was coming from the bushes...

Crouching low to the ground, Ranma pushed through the landscaping, following the increasing tug like a game of Marco Polo. Small thorns and twigs dug into his skin, and he was pretty certain that a dog had pooped in the spot he'd just stepped into. He ignored all of this, the sense getting stronger by the second. Pushing aside a patch of thick growth near the building, Ranma blinked.

Lying on the ground was a battered off-white cylinder, the ends covered with tarnished bronze caps. Gently reaching out and lifting it up, Ranma stood up, shaking the twigs and leaves out of his hair. Exiting the bushes – with a brief stop to wipe the dog doo off his foot and on to the bench Duncan Matthews liked to sit at – he studied the case a little closer; he had seen its like before, at the odd temples and shrines his father had dragged him to in search of new and exotic training. Elaborately painted and carved works of art, made of the finest polished wood and gilded metal, often times worth many times more than their meagre contents.

This looked nothing like them.

"Feh," He snorted, eying the scratches and dents in the hard plastic. If it had ever been painted, the design had long since faded. "Cheap scroll case still has the gift shop barcode on it." Looking over the end cap, he snorted again. "'Made in America'. Figures."

Piece of junk though it may be to look at, it was a blazing inferno to his senses. Engaging his ki-vision, Ranma looked at the scroll case again; it still looked like something from the ten-cent bin at a suburban garage sale, but now he could see an intricate weaving of green and red ki surrounding the contents. Dozens of spiraling blue threads connected the cocoon of energy to the end-caps; if even one was pulled, the entire weaving would collapse in on itself, taking whatever was inside with it. The entire trap was anchored on a knot of concentrated pure ki, woven tighter than he had ever thought possible and nearly blinding him with it's radiance.

His eyes beginning to strain, Ranma blinked repeatedly, dispelling the ki from his sight. "Woah." Despite it's looks, someone had gone to great lengths to protect what was inside. The tight intricacy was beyond his ability to manipulate, overshadowing even the delicate weavings he'd witnessed in the gallery. He had seen similar traps before, and had actually set one off at a monastery several years ago. He and pop hadn't stayed in Brazil much longer.

Running a careful finger along the edge of one of the caps, Ranma cursed as he felt a sudden shock run through his skin. "Stupid scroll!" He growled, the scroll case slipping out of his hands. Ranma winced as it acquired another dent bounding off the corner of a table, then again as it clattered against the pavement, one of the end-caps popping off with the sound of a muffled gunshot. "Oops."

His eyes darting around to see if anyone had witnessed the event, Ranma scooped up the now open case and hesitantly peered inside. Seeing a rolled up parchment, completely undamaged, he grinned triumphantly. He didn't know what he'd done, but he'd apparently done it right. Pity he didn't have the chance now to study the delicate weaving of ki the trap had been made of...

"SWEET ESKIMO JESUS!"

Ranma let out a shout as he felt an impact against his lower back; twisting into the fall, Ranma landed on his backside, blinking in confusion as he saw Risty perched on his stomach, grinning insanely. "You found it!"

"Huh?" Ranma groaned, looking over at the object in his hand. "Ris? This yours?"

"Yes, its-" Risty followed his gaze and froze, drawing a sharp intake of breath as she took sight of the opened scroll case. "-mine. It's open. You opened it," She said slowly, her bugging eyes betraying her placid tone.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout th-"

"YOU GOT IT OPEN!" She squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly, peppering his face with dozens of kisses as he struggled to breathe. "I can't believe it! You fanFUCKINGtastic boy, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THAN-"

* * *

"....and and and we can have slumber parties!" Thaliá squealed happily, bouncing down the hallway. "Can we have slumber parties, Mr. Harrison? Please please pretty please?"

"Dunno," The tall man smiled down at the girl. Behind the two walked a stoic pair of large orderlies; they had boring songs, so Thaliá hadn't bothered to learn their names. "Better ask Wanda first, and the Doc'll have his say."

"We can play games and tell stories and sing our favourite songs!" Thaliá chirped excitedly, barely able to contain herself as Mr. Harrison led her to the first joint therapy session. She'd been waiting for this for what felt like forever. She just knew she and Wanda would become great friends!

Reaching the door at the end of the hall, Thaliá bounced on her toes as she waited impatiently for Mr. Harrison to swipe his card-thingy. Giggling at the beeps and blinking lights that accompanied the doors opening, she was about to rush inside when Mr. Harrison held an arm in her path.

"Calm down, child," He said, his smile slipping from his face. "Wanda is already inside, and ya don't wanna scare her, do ya?

Thaliá's hair whipped about as she shook her head. She hated scaring people. Scared people had scary songs.

"Alright then," Mr. Harrison said, pushing the door open and gently guiding her inside. Thaliá looked around the small room with wide eyes; this was different from the usual session rooms. The walls were painted a light sky blue, and the floors covered with a soft brown carpet. A white couch ran along the far wall, a small wooden table with the edges sanded down directly in front of it, and to the right a large blue armchair, all bolted to the floor.

Wanda sat on one end of the couch, staring at the floor, wearing a straitjacket much less intricate than her own. Her song was angry. Thaliá was about to bounce forward when she realized Mr. Harrison was speaking to the other girl.

"Two guards will be posted outside," He said, his voice carrying an edge Thaliá had never heard before. "Anything happens, they'll be in here before you can spit."

Wanda said nothing.

"Dr. Lieber will arrive shortly," The man continued. "Play nicely until then." Mr. Harrison glanced over at Thaliá, giving her a small smile and a nod before stepping outside. The door shut loudly behind him, and she could hear the happy clicks of multiple locks.

Dragging a toe along the carpet, Thaliá was suddenly at a loss for what to say. Despite their rooms being so close together, she and Wanda had never really met before right now; it was very rude of Mr. Harrison not to have formally introduced them before he left. Tentatively, she shuffled over to the couch, sitting down next to the other girl. Several seconds passed, but Wanda didn't move to acknowledge her.

Wiggling her nose, Thaliá carefully brushed it against her shoulder in an attempt to scratch it, her mind racing to find something to talk about. Her foot started tapping a light beat against the carpet, unknowingly attracting Wanda's attention. A low hum rumbled in her throat, her head bouncing lightly to the rhythm.

Wanda was looking at her now, an unreadable expression on her face; she seemed less angry, although the Latina could still hear the rage in her song. "Never was a cornflake girl..."

"Don't sing."

"Hi!" She greeted the other girl, her toe still tapping the beat to Tori Amos' _Cornflake Girl_ against the floor. "My name is Thaliá! Do you wanna be friends?"

"I know who you are." Wanda answered in a clipped monotone.

"But never have we held a joint intro." Thaliá giggled and swung her legs onto the crouch, crossing them as she turned to the other girl. "Can you believe that? We've resided in the same hall for so many years and we never ever got to speak! Isn't that weird? I love your top!"

"It's a straitjacket."

"It resonates with you." She paused, considering for a moment. "Burgundy would be a more pleasing tone though."

Wanda growled. The tempo of her song sped up.

"I can stick my tongue up my nose!"

* * *

Plopping herself down next to Rogue, Risty yanked Ranma over from the other side of the table, planting an enthusiastic kiss on each cheek. "THANK YOU!"

"Hey to you too, Risty," Rogue said dryly, glancing between the two martial artists. "Ya ain't tryin' t'steal mah guy right in front of me, are ya?"

"Rogue, this amazing boy is yours," Risty told her, grinning exuberantly as she released the startled boy from her grasp. Said boy now had a large indigo imprint of her lips on each cheek and a startled expression on his face. Risty decided against taking the opportunity to steal the rest of his sandwich. "Note that I only pecked him on the cheeks instead of trying to figure out the actual texture of his tonsils. That would be too weird, and is a task I leave in your capable hands."

"Thanks," Rogue deadpanned, giving Risty a questioning look as she reached across the table and cleaned the lipstick off her boyfriend's cheeks. "Mind if Ah ask the reasons behind this spell of Ranma-worship?"

"Don't need a reason t'realize I'm awesome," Ranma interjected.

"This is why," She looked covertly to both sides, then pulled the scroll case out of her pocket and set it down in the middle of the table. "I lost this a while back, when Kurt and Kitty accidentally knocked me down, and was going out of my mind trying to find it. Ranma stumbled upon it over there," Risty gestured vaguely towards the other side of the Quad. "And not only did he find it, he actually managed to get the ruddy thing open!"

"Alright," Rogue nodded, eyeing the tube with half-hearted interest. "And what is that?"

"S'a scwoll ca'e," Ranma answered, swallowing the last of his sandwich as he stared at the object in question. "It wasn't that hard t'open."

"My father spent almost twenty years trying to get this open," Risty lied, looking Ranma dead in the eye and tapping the case against his head. "He tried hammers, crowbars, hacksaws, blowtorches. He tried pulling it off, melting the ends, smashing it open – hell, he even tried to have it x-rayed to see what was inside. Nothing worked."

"It was a ki-lock," Ranma muttered impatiently. "Someone trapped that thing good. Have ya seen what's inside yet?"

"Right," Risty nodded, smirking at the boy. "That's why pop gave it to me before I left. He never could use ki, and so he thought that I might have some kind of a shot. Unfo-"

"Rist, the thing is open," Ranma cut in, yanking the item out of her hands. "Ya ran off with it when the bell rang. Are ya gonna keep talkin' or are ya gonna let me see what's inside the stupid thing?"

"Must you be so bloody impatient?" She teased, stealing the case back from the boy. "I was just trying to give Rogue a little backstory."

"Backstory is kinda borin'," Rogue said, leaning her head into her hand as she sipped at a can of ersatz grape soda. "What's in th'ugly thing?"

"Well forgive me for having a sense of showmanship," The British girl muttered, slightly peeved that no one seemed to care about her painstakingly-crafted reason for having it in the first place. That boy should be more curious about the origins of strange and exotic combat techniques. With a sigh, Risty slid a finger inside the case and pulling out the rolled-up yellow parchment contained within. Carefully unfurling it a few inches, Risty's eyes widened. "Oh, wow!"

"What is it?" Ranma asked eagerly, anticipation dancing across his face.

"This..." Risty gulped, her eyes racing all over the page.

"Yeah?"

"This..."

"Yeah?" Ranma asked again, his patience obviously wearing thin now, "What is it?!"

"This... is in Japanese." She looked back up, bewildered. "I can't read it."

_THUNK! _The two girls giggled as Ranma's head smacked loudly against the table. "Here," She continued, clearing off the center of the table and unrolling the scroll between them. "You opened it, you have as much right to know what's on the bloody thing as I do."

"I suppose my happenin' t'be Japanese contributes to this?"

"You're Japanese?" Risty blinked, holding back a grin. "I could have sworn you were British. Will you read the stupid thing already?"

Sitting back as Ranma read over the scroll, Risty smiled to herself. She'd already memorized what it had to say, but Ranma did deserve to see it for himself; they were his father's techniques after all. Besides, he might pick up something she missed - her Japanese literacy was a bit rusty.

"Umisenken?" Ranma muttered. "Yknow, this handwritin' looks kinda familiar..."

"So what's it say?" Risty asked quickly. "Anything interesting?"

"Interestin' don't even begin t'describe it," Ranma breathed, looking up at her with an eager grin. "It's an entire system of martial arts I ain't ever seen before. Basis seems t'be on stealth..." His eyes widened, and he pointed to a section around the bottom of the parchment. "It's got an actual invisibility technique!"

"Wicked!" Risty grinned in response.

"Silencin' techniques," Ranma continued slowly, his eyes flying down the scroll. "Disabling attacks, power moves... some of 'em seem to be counters for the techniques of another system. And this..." He frowned, pointing to the very end of the scroll. "Is the defense against somethin' called '_Baribari Taremaku Yakekoge Jitsuzai Yakedo'_..."

Risty and Rogue shared a glance. "And that is...?" The southern girl asked.

"Literally translated? Tearing Curtain Scorching Reality Burn." The pigtailed boy met Risty's gaze, and they grinned in tandem. "Cool."

"This is all really interestin'," Rogue broke in, "But what does it all mean?"

"It means Rist has a scroll of secret techniques," Ranma told her, sighing as he rolled the parchment back up and handed it to the British girl. "That are gonna be freakin' crazy to learn."

"Wrong," Risty said, slipping the scroll back into it's case and sliding it into her pocket. "It means WE have this scroll of secret techniques that are going to be freaking crazy to learn."

"We?"

"You opened it," Risty grinned. "Are you saying you don't want to learn it?"

* * *

"Well," Melinda said, looking up from her sketchbook as Emma finished her story, "That is quite a predicament you have gotten yourself into."

"I haven't gotten myself into anything," Her cousin replied, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "Unless you are saying that it's somehow my fault that the parcel was delivered to the wrong address."

"The wrongest of addresses," Melinda commented, tapping her pencil against the page. In truth, she'd only half-listened to her cousin's tirade, having gotten the gist of it after the first three sentences. Her mind was occupied more with a pigtailed boy and his decidedly unRanma-like tendencies of late. "No, that is not your fault, but how you have handled the information received since is."

"And what would you have suggested?"

"Honestly?" Melinda closed her sketchbook and set it down on the grass beside her. Maybe he was upset about being a girl when she kissed her? "I would have just let her have it and ordered another bottle. This is a battle that does not need to be fought."

"This isn't just about my hair anymore," Emma said, narrowing her eyes and glaring in the direction of Nabiki Tendo. The brown-haired girl was sitting at the far table on the Quad, covered from sight by the trunk of a large tree and flanked by her four friends. "This is personal." She turned her eyes back to Melinda, her fingers crushing the cup of yogurt in her hand. "Emma Frost doesn't start battles, but she sure as shit ends them."

"I see," Melinda nodded, cracking her knuckles. Putting aside the matter of Ranma for a moment, she smiled and leaned back against the wall. "If you will not deviate from this course, then I suppose you could make use of some information I happen to have."

Emma lifted an eyebrow. "Go on."

"I got an A on my last Chemistry assignment."

"Impossible."

"Not with the aid of one Nabiki Tendo."

"Dear cousin," Emma remarked, matching the other blonde's smile. "You have the most devious look in your eyes..."

* * *

Packing his pipe full of cheap tobacco, Genma stepped outside the dojo, quietly closing the sliding door behind him and stepping out into the night. Taking a seat on the steps, he began patting himself down, hoping he had some matches on him. Coming up with none, he sighed and sparked a small amount of yellow ki into his finger, setting alight the crushed leaf inside the bowl and inhaling deeply.

Exhaling the smoke from his nostrils, Genma tried to ignore the ache in his ribs. Akane had nailed him with a good kick during practice earlier, and it had aggravated one of the wounds he'd received earlier that week. He'd never been on the receiving end of a _Moko Kaimon Ha _before – he had no idea how much it actually hurt. The Kumon boy's Voice preventing him from defending himself, he'd received the full force of the attack and the ones that had followed. It had taken days to heal completely from the vicious assault, and even now Genma still felt the odd ache.

Genma grimaced at the memory. Kumon was going to be a problem, no two ways about it. He has mastered the Yamasenken, knew the location of the Umisenken, and had forced Genma to tell him how to recreate the destroyed Honousenken. If he managed to actually accomplish his goals...

Genma smirked, blowing out another lungful of smoke. Well, that was near-impossible. Not only was Kumon lacking the strength to wield the Honou, he was still missing a few key details. "Kids these days," He snickered. "Always running off without waiting for their elders to finish."

Blinking, his eyes darted upward as he felt an familiar and unwelcome presence rapidly. "Sage," He whispered, shivering inwardly.

Landing on the roof of the Tendo Dojo, the black-clad woman glanced into the yard. Dropping silently to the grass below, Sage removed her shades and glared at the large panda lying next to the koi pond. It rolled over onto it's back and began playing with a giant beach ball, aparently unaware of her presence. "Script."

The panda held up a wooden sign. 'NO SCRIPT HERE, MYSTERIOUS BLACK-CLAD STRANGER.' The sign flipped around. 'I'M JUST A CUDDLY LITTLE PANDA!'

A throwing knife flew through the air and punctured the multi-coloured inflatable water toy. The panda growfed angrily and glared at the woman, the letters on his sign glowing blue and shifting rapidly. 'HEY, THAT WAS MY FAVOURITE BEACH BALL!'

Sage rolled her eyes, sliding another knife out of her sleeve and into her waiting hand. She hated dealing with this fool. "If you are not Script, then how did you alter that text?"

'UH...' The letters shifted slower this time. 'SECRET PANDA-MAGIC?'

"I thought you might try this," She muttered, removing a small thermos from a compartment in her jacket and splashing the cursed martial artist. The panda was instantly replaced by Genma Saotome, sitting in a lotus position and glaring at her.

"Fine," The man grumbled. "What do you want, Tessa?"

"I witnessed your confrontation with Ryu Kumon. The Master has been informed as well." She explained, silently crouching in front of him. "The Honousenken must not be unleashed, and thus I have been directed with preventing the boy from recreating the system. I have been given leave to use any mean at my disposal."

"That doesn't explain why you are bothering me."

"I need your advice," Sage forced out through grit teeth, hating the truth of the admission. "You created his fighting style. Please-" She shut her eyes, stumbling over the next word, "-sensei. I do not know if I will ever face him in combat, but current analysis indicate such a confrontation is likely and that I would lose. I need to know how to neutralize the Yamasenken."

"Only my student when it suits you?" Script's lips twisted into a smirk. "You always did have trouble with Anything-Goes, Tessa."

Her glare deepened, but Sage's face remained outwardly stoic. He spoke the truth, as much as she hated to acknowledge it. The unpredictable nature of the Anything-Goes style was antithesis to her entire being – it defied standard analysis, and patterns were impossible to predict, especially with the masters of the school. The results of her one attempt to learn it was a memory she hid in the deepest recesses of her mind.

"I am only giving you this information because the alternative is too horrible to allow." Script continued, sighing and looking away. "You are one of the few to witness the Honousenken and survived to regret it. And I suppose in this, if nothing else, Erik and I are in rare agreement. The Honousenken cannot be unleashed.

"The Yamasenken itself cannot be neutralized, so don't bother trying," He continued, the moonlight glinting off his eyeglasses as he stared directly at her. "But there may be ways to counter the power of his Voice."

* * *

"Aww, yeah!" Evan pumped an enthusiastic fist as Kitty finished telling them her plan. "I am on board, man! The Prof's away-"

"-So the kids can play!" Kurt finished, flipping out of his celebratory handstand and high-fiving the other boy.

"And play it loud," Kitty giggled, shoving her Social Studies text into her locker and slamming the door shut with a bump of her hip. She danced over to the boys and joined the flurry of high-fives. "The final bell has rung and the weekend's begun, woo-hoo!"

"Reality check, people," Rogue broke in, giving her three friends a half-lidded gaze. Leaning up against Kitty's locker, she held up a hand and ticked off her first finger. "Y'all are forgettin' a few key things. Scott-" She ticked off another finger, "-and Jean."

"Oh yeah..." Kurt said, his shoulders slumping. "That is a prob-"

"Wait," Evan broke in. "Scott may be in charge, but Jean isn't. It's him and Ranma that are callin' the shots."

"Hey, yeah," The German boy said slowly, his grin returning to his face. "Jean can't do anything!"

"She can tell Scott," Kitty sighed. "And he can drydock us. The party would be over before it even begins, and we'd all get punishment duty..."

"And Kurt still has a week left on his punishment from last Friday," Rogue interjected.

"Two weeks, actually," Kurt deflated again. "They added on another one after the carnival..." He shook his head, looking back up with a smirk. "Ve can't let this get in out vay! The situation is too good to pass up!"

"Yeah!" Evan mirrored his grin, pounding a fist into his hand. "We can handle a little problem like this, man."

"Totally," Kitty agreed, her own enthusiasm returning. "What are X-Men if not problem solvers, right?"

"Think Ranma would do anything?" Evan asked, glancing over at Rogue, who shrugged, her disinterest plainly evident. "I mean, you could convince him, right?"

"Woah," Rogue snapped to attention and glared at the boy. "Ah ain't gonna use my relationship with him t'help y'all with this. Ah'll give ya a hand with Scott and Jean, but ya gotta work Ranma yourself."

"HEY RANMA!" Kurt shouted suddenly, causing Rogue to jump. The other three spun around to see the pigtailed boy on the other end of the hall, banging a fist against his locker in frustration. "VE'RE GONNA THROW A LITTLE PARTY TONIGHT! THAT COOL VITH YOU?"

"'KAY!"

Rogue groaned as Kurt turned back to them, grinning as he held up two fingers. "One down, two to go!"

* * *

"Risty!"

"Yeah?" Risty replied, not looking up from the arduous task of directing the coat hanger through the window to unlock her vehicle.

"It's all set-" Kitty broke off, noticing the car. "Oh wow, like, are you actually driving MacIntyre's junkheap?"

"Yeah."

"I was wondering why the parking lot was more oil stainy than usual..." The other girl murmured. "You do know the thing is a deathtrap, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you still drive it?"

"I refuse to let a sodding machine get the best of me!" The purple haired girl declared, smirking victoriously as the door swung open with an odd gurgle. Bending the coat hanger back into the shape of an antenna, she turned to Kitty and smiled. "Woman will always triumph over that which is man-made. What's all set now?"

"The party!" Kitty exclaimed, looking down at her watch and dashing away. "Gotta run, no time for details! Tonight, our place, be there!"

"Uh... 'kay," She replied to the girl's retreating form. Party? What party?

Several seconds later she smacked herself in the forehead. "Bollocks, that party!" She'd gotten all caught up in the excitement of the Umisenken being unexpectedly opened, she'd completely forgotten about the plan for tonight. Was it even worth going through with now?

Risty thought for a moment, frowning as she debated internally, rapping her fingers against the rust-coated roof of the Ford Tempo. Nodding decisively, she got into the car. She'd put too much work into this to change her mind now, and the opportunity was too perfect to pass up.

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Xavier made a quick scan of the room, noting the positions of forty heavily armed soldiers and guards, each with a weapon trained on the comatose form of Cain Marko. Captain Stone stood next to a large switch, his expression serious ready if not eager for the go-ahead. Outside the room the entire facility was in lockdown, every possible security measure being taken.

And if Cain managed to break free in the twenty seconds his prison was deactivated, none of it would mean anything.

He looked back down at the main terminal of the containment unit; the outer plating was removed, the inner circuitry displayed before him. Tools in hand, Xavier took another breath and ran through a rapid mental checklist of what needed to be done.

"System shutdown on my mark," He said suddenly; no sense delaying it any further. "Now!"

Stone flipped the switch and the timer on the terminal immediately started counting down. Xavier began working rapidly, the room quickly growing dark as the PLEXUS system rebooted itself.

Cain's eyes began fluttering; the paralysis was wearing off. Xavier grit his teeth and worked faster, ignoring the shower of sparks spraying from the terminal as he reconnected a set of wires. Fifteen seconds.

His brother's fingers twitched, slowly clenching into fists capable of stopping a speeding eighteen-wheeler. Cain's expression grew more aware. He heard the clicks of dozens of automatic weapons chambering high-powered rounds. Sweat dripped from Xavier's forehead as he shut out all of this.

Cain's eyes snapped open. Nine seconds.

Xavier bit back a curse as more sparks erupted from the terminal, pressing on amidst the pin-pricks of burning pain that landed on his hands. Cain's eyes narrowed in fury as he took sight of him, lifting his massive arms over his head and straining the chains that held him to the floor.

"Charles..." He heard Stone's warning and ignored it. Five seconds.

The chains snapped, and Xavier gasped as his half-brother glared at him, grinning with cruel anticipation. His hands flew as he desperately tried to finish the repairs, simultaneously preparing his mind for the potential of launching a massive psychic assault.

Two seconds.

The Juggernaut's fist shot forward.

"System reinitialized," Xavier declared, the lights turning back on as power returned to the room. Cain's fist was an inch from the glass, slowly falling to his side as the chemical returned him to a comatose state. The room let out a collective sigh of relief, the soldiers hesitantly lowering their weapons.

"Stand down," Stone ordered, the tension fading from his face. Xavier frowned, holding his chin in his hands and as he stared up at his half-brother. "Is there another problem?"

"Yes," He nodded, not looking away. "This malfunction... it did not happen on it's own."

Stone went pale. "Are you saying-"

"As I was making the repairs, it became obvious," Xavier nodded, furrowing his brow. "This was sabotage."

* * *

Lookout Point, as it had been named by some unimaginative Bayvillian decades prior, was the highest ground one could find and still remain within city limits. Located in the high wooded hills on the edge of town, the Point itself was a natural clearing at the edge of a cliff, a simple wooden fence the only barrier between any visitor and the sharp five-hundred foot drop. The grass had long ago been worn away by the frequent visits of teenagers seeking seclusion for discrete activities – no official roads led up here, but decades of cars and motorcycles had created a crude path.

Leaning against the hood of his convertible, Scott looked out over the expanse of the small city below him. The sky was coloured a light pinkish-purple as the sun set over the horizon, and he thought he could see the streetlights slowly flickering to life below. A chill wind drifted through the trees, and he crossed his arms, taking a moment to check his watch at the same time. She was late.

Twisting his head at the quickly approaching sound of another car, Scott frowned as he saw a sleek midnight blue Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. Correction, Duncan was late.

"See you later, Duncan," Jean told the blonde quarterback in the driver's seat, giving him a peck on the cheek as she stepped out. Duncan smiled back at her – a slightly twisted grin Scott had come to loathe – and sped off, kicking up a large cloud of dust.

"Hi," Scott greeted awkwardly as Jean walked around his car, setting her book bag on the hood as she took a seat next to him.

"Hi," She replied, lifting her feet and resting them on the bumper.

"So what's up?"

Behind them, unnoticed, Kurt bamfed into existence and immediately ducked behind the car.

"I dunno," Jean replied, pursing her lips and looking at him askance. "I thought you'd tell me."

The German boy peeked over the edge of the trunk, and slowly crept forward, deftly reaching under the steering wheel. Next to him, Kitty's head quietly phased up through the trunk.

"Kitty said you wanted to meet me here."

The brown-haired girl behind them held a finger to her lips as she shared a glance with Kurt. Reaching forward, she slid her hand through Jean's bag and pulled out a cherry-red Helio Ocean.

"Weird," The redhead remarked, looking over at him. "Kurt said you wanted to talk to me."

Scott stood up and stepped away from the car. "Okay, yeah, I see what this is then."

Stifling snickers, Kurt and Kitty ducked back behind the car. Miming a high-five, they grasped hands and teleported away.

"Yeah," Jean said softly, brushing her fingers through her hair. "We must have been set u-"

"You're being sneaky again, aren't you?" He accused, spinning around and thrusting a finger at her. "You want me to come up here, but then turn around and blame someone else." Scott smirked, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "Are you that jealous of Nabiki and Emma?"

"Oh, please," She sniffed, turning away and sticking up her nose. "As if I care at all about what you do with those two..."

"You cared enough to eavesdrop."

"I was NOT eavesdropping."

"Yeah, maybe your being there was just coincidence," He conceded, scratching the back of his head then stopping suddenly as he realized how Ranma-like the action was. Crossing his arms, he looked at her again dubiously. "But looking back on your recent history, I somehow find myself doubting that."

"My what?" Jean stared at him as if he'd grown a third nostril. "That doesn't make any sense! Why would I do anything like that?"

"How should I know?" Scott shot back, throwing up his hands. "You've been so far beyond screwed up for weeks, why would you stop now?" He immediately regretted his words.

"Maybe because I'm making a concentrated effort to not live in delusion anymore?" Jean snarled, her left eye beginning to twitch through the heated glare. She sprung to her feet and crossed her arms angrily, stalking around to the passenger-side of the car. "Wish I could say the same about present company..."

"Jean," Scott said, opening the driver's side door as the redhead buckled her seatbelt. "I shouldn't have said that-"

"Oh, stow it, Scott," She snapped, not looking at him. In the side-view mirror he could see her eyes beginning to water. "I don't need to be telepathic to know you've been thinking it for days. You all have."

"Jean-"

"Forget it, Scott," She said, shaking her head and wrapping her arms around her stomach. "Just take me home."

"Right," Scott sighed, pushing his keys into the ignition. Giving them a quick turn, he blinked as the only sound that resulted was the jingling of metal. Several more tries produced the same result. "Hey, what's the deal?"

"Figures," Jean rolled her eyes. "You would do something like this."

"Do something like what?"

"Lure me out here and then 'oops, well-timed car trouble!'" She rolled her eyes again, her mood swinging too fast for Scott to catch it. "You are sorely lacking in originality."

"Hey, this was not my idea!"

* * *

_Ding-dong-ding-ding!_

"Welcome to party central!" Evan greeted, pulling open the large double doors and gesturing with a grand flourish towards the interior of the mansion. Heavy bass reverberated through the air inside, loud dance music and a multitude of conversations greeting the new arrivals.

"Woah," Webber grinned, his head craning to take in as much of the large room as possible. They were far from the first arrivals, the foyer already filled with several dozen dancing and chattering guests. "_Dum da da-dum!_ Arcade has joined the party! This place rocks!"

"I told you it was plush," Risty giggled, grabbing the boy by the arm and dragging him off. "C'mon, I'll show ya around!"

"Sodas in the ice chest," Evan continued to the other new arrivals as Risty and her companion ran off, "Munchies on the table, stay on the ground floor, go outside if you have to smoke, and please-" He grinned, removing a small vase from the hands of a rowdy sophomore, "-don't break anything. Wanna know where anything else is, just ask one of us."

"I got one for you," A cool voice said from the doorway. Turning around, Evan saw Melinda leaned against the doorframe, hands tucked in the pockets of her tight denim jean skirt. The casual pose was ruined by the fierce determination in her blazing green eyes. "Know where I can find Ranma?"

"Uhh..." Evan drawled slowly. The look in the girl's eye was one he didn't want to mess with. "Afraid I couldn't tell you that but...." He grabbed the nearest housemate he could find and shoved him in the girl's direction with a sheepish grin. "But Bobby here should be able to help."

"Huh?" The younger boy said suddenly, momentarily choking on his drink. "I can help who with what now?"

"This lovely young lady needs some assistance," The bleach-blonde boy said, slowly backing away. "Why don't you give it to her?"

Bobby blinked and looked over the blonde girl, a sly look suddenly coming over his face as he took in her face and figure. "Well hello... Name's Bobby. Bobby Drake. And who might you be, gorgeous?"

Melinda's eyes widened briefly, then narrowed to thin slits. "Say that again."

"Say what again?" He asked, giving her his most charming smile. Bobby felt his spine chill at the look she returned. "The, uh, part where I called you gorgeous?"

"So," The girl said with a slow menace, cracking her knuckles as she stalked forward, a slight sway to her hips. "That was you on the phone the other day..."

* * *

Across from the stereo system, on the far side of the room, a pair of hands were delicately constructing a large submarine sandwich. Kurt licked his lips, grabbing a knife and slicing the hoagie in half. "Man," he said with satisfaction, lifting one half of the sandwich to his mouth. "Problem solving can sure make a guy hungry."

"Makes me wanna dance!" Kitty said, bouncing across the floor to the CD player and pumping up the volume. Swaying her hips to the beat as the sound blasted from the speakers – borrowed from Scott's room - she twirled enthusiastically back into the crowd.

Kurt grinned, shaking his head a he prepared to take a bite of his sandwich. Closing his teeth around nothing but air, he opened his eyes to find his half-brother leaning against the table, sandwich in hand; a large bite had been taken out of the painstakingly-crafted snack, and the pigtailed boy was looking at him with a curious expression.

"Uh, Ranma, that is mine..."

"Gotta be quicker than that, little bro," Ranma grinned. "So what's with the party? First I heard 'bout it."

"You said it vas cool if ve threw one."

"I don't remember sayin' that."

"It vas only a few hours ago," Kurt said defensively. "You vere busy vith your locker at the time, but you said it vas okay..."

"I remember the locker," Ranma said slowly, tearing off another hunk of his ill-gotten sandwich. "And the argument with maintenance after I tore it open, but nothin' 'bout no party. Didja get Scott's okay?"

"Uh, ve couldn't..."

"Because he wouldn't let ya?" Ranma smirked. "I could go ask him now if ya want..."

"No, that's, uh," Kurt's mind raced as he tried to think up an excuse. "Not a good idea. This party is, um, for Scott. Yeah, a surprise party. For Scott's birthday."

"You said that in a very convincin' way," Ranma deadpanned. "Scott's birthday ain't until December."

"I know," Kurt chuckled nervously, scratching at the back of his head. "Great surprise, yeah?"

"Uh-huh," His brother nodded dubiously. "Do ya honestly expect me t'beli-"

Ranma suddenly grabbed Kurt and spun him around, and the younger son of Mystique let out a yelp as he felt a cascade of cold liquid hit him in the back. "Vhat vas that for?"

"Bobby landed in the punchbowl," Ranma explained, letting go of the other boy. Looking over his shoulder, Kurt blinked as he saw the younger mutant had indeed been submerged in the fruity beverage. Behind the boy was Melinda, holding him down for a few seconds before yanking him out by the hair, a look of extreme satisfaction on her face.

"Oh, man," Bobby mumbled as Melinda dropped him to the floor, the dazed look on his face morphing into a stupid smile. "Whatta woman!"

"Mel?"

"This was the guy who pretended to be you on the phone the other day," She explained, flipping her braid over her shoulder. She cast a grimace down at her now-soaking purple top, and Kurt fought back a blush as he realized how flimsy the material was. "Fuck me sideways," She muttered, "That is never going to come out..."

Looking up again suddenly, the blonde's eyes narrowed as she focused in on Ranma. "There you are!" Vaulting over the table, her foot caught the edge and she fell to the ground, causing everyone in view to wince sympathetically. Undeterred by her own clumsiness, Melinda sprang to her feet and grabbed Ranma by the arm, growling through tightly-clenched teeth. "Enough is fucking enough, we are going to talk!"

"Crap," Ranma muttered as he was dragged off. "Not that word again..."

Kurt felt a small amount of pity at the situation his brother was now it. He would have tried to do something to diffuse the girl's anger, but the growling of his stomach led his gaze back to the abandoned sandwich lying on the table. There probably wasn't anything he could do to help Ranma, now that he thought of it.

"Oh vell," He said to himself, taking a large, satisfying bite. The roast beef was soooo tender and juicy. "Who am I to interfere anyvay?"

* * *

"Okay, something is definitely up," Jean grumbled, throwing her bookbag angrily into the back seat of the car. "My phone is gone."

"How could you forget your phone?" Scott asked, looking up from his inspection of the engine.

"Did I say I forgot it?" She snapped, pacing along the side of the vehicle, her fingers clenching and unclenching. Now would be a great time for a- she banished the thought. "I know I had it in Duncan's car, 'cause Ranma accidentally texted me about pancakes."

"He hasn't figured out how to use his Blackberry yet?"

"Someone swiped it," Jean growled, ignoring Scott's interjection. "Right out of my bag, after I got here."

"I picked up on that," Scott replied drily, slamming the hood shut. "Nothing's wrong with the engine that I can find. Someone must have sabotaged the ignition system."

"No shit sherlock," She grumbled, cracking her knuckles with several loud pops. She wanted to punch something; she settled for the fence, which shattered with astounding ease. "It was probably the same person. What the hell do we do now?"

"First of all," Scott said firmly as Jean stared at her own fist in stunned amazement, "You need to calm down."

"I am calm," The redhead muttered. _not as calm as if you had a null..._ "Shut up."

"And second," he continued, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "There's a pay phone at the bottom of the hill. You coming?"

Jean glared at the boy as he walked off, his tone striking all the wrong chords in her. She was tired, hungry, pissed, and goddammit she wanted a null! Reaching out with her hand pulling back sharply, she held back a smirk at Scott's yelp as he was suddenly dragged back to her side. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she lifted her hands behind her head and started walking. That had been oddly therapeutic. "You coming?"

* * *

"Now, is it this turn here?" Risty queried as she and Arcade walked down the hallway. The sounds of the party were slowly fading into the background, and Arcade was beginning to wonder if where they were going counted as 'out of bounds'.

Not that he cared especially – he was hanging out with a totally hot girl with a sexy accent, and he wasn't even doing her homework! This was so worth missing that LAN party for.

"I've only been here one time before," Risty remarked, "But I think this hall leads to the library." If Arcade didn't know any better, it sounded like she was looking for a place they could be alone. He quickly turned to spray a quick blast of breath freshener into his mouth, and accidentally caught sight of a side hallway as he did.

"Hey," He said suddenly, slipping the small bottle of Misty-Mint into his pocket. "Weird-looking elevator."

"Hmm?" The British girl hummed, following his eyes. "Oh!" She grabbed him by the arm and grinned, "That must lead to their really big computer! Rogue was telling me about it earlier."

"Hold up," He smirked, narrowing his eyes challengingly at the elevator door as libido began battling with obsession. "Did someone say, 'big computer'?"

* * *

"Woah," Risty said with feigned astonishment, her head twisting about as she and Arcade stepped out of the elevator and into a large steel corridor. Several smaller hallways and doors branched from it, but it was too dark to see what any of them led to. "This is one cool basement!"

Reaching the end of the hall, the copper-haired boy grinned widely and gestured towards a small, hand-shaped panel next to a large metal door. "Electronic lock. It's gotta be in here." He reached into a pocket on the strap of his bag and pulled out a small rectangular device with a long, thick cord dangling from the end.

"You can hack security codes?"

Arcade snorted and plugged the drive into a small access port next to the panel itself. "It's a computer. You hack one, you've hacked them all."

Looking over his shoulder, Risty felt her eyes begin to strain as thousands of lines of code began flashing across the screen of the small handheld computer. Arcade seemed to have no trouble taking it all in, the fingers of his free hand performing a dazzling choreography against the keys. Stepping back, the purple-haired girl bared her teeth in an eager grin and let the boy do his thing.

Arcade smirked triumphantly as he successfully hacked the lock, winking at the British girl beside him. "What'd I tell you?" He said smugly, slipping the handheld back into his bag as the door slid open Star Trek-style, "Computers are all the same."

Walking into the dark room, the computer genius' eyes bugged out as he took in the massive chamber around them. In that moment, he completely forgot about the babe he'd come here with. "Woah," he breathed, feeling his knees go weak as his words echoed throughout the room. "I think I might have to rephrase that..."

* * *

Throwing Ranma to the floor of the first empty room she found, Melinda slammed the door with enough force to make the portraits rattle. In the back of her mind, she realized they were in a study of some kind, but the scenery was negligible; the characters involved were the important part.

"Shitjuggling cockstorm!" She snarled at the pigtailed boy, hands on her hips as she fixed him to the ground with an angry glare. "What is the monkeyfucking deal, Ranma?"

"What-"

"You ball-less whorehopping eunich, do not even try to play dumb with me!" Melinda snapped, her fingers twitching as she resisted the urge to tug at her braid. "Your sorry stupid sexy ass knows damn well what I'm talki-"

"Yo, find your own room!"

Melinda spun towards the interrupting voice – a dark-haired boy with his hand up the blouse of a clearly embarrassed brunette. "What?" She growled warningly.

"Uh, it's just, um, we were here first..." The boy flinched. "So if you two could ju-"

"GET THE CORPSE-RAPING HELL OUT BEFORE I GANK OUT YOUR EYES AND FUCK YOUR SKULL!"

The unknown couple eeped and made a mad dash for the door. The boy tripped a few times, to Melinda's growing ire, so she decided to hasten his progress by applying her foot to his backside. She slammed the door shut again, this time with enough force to knock down a portrait of a comely middle-aged woman.

"That was th'Prof's mom ya just knocked down," Ranma pointed out; he flinched as Melinda spun her furious gaze back at him.

"If you do not fucking tell me what the donkey-slut sucking hell is going on with you," the blonde snapped, "Then you will sure as shit envy the fate of that picture."

"Uh.."

"Clusterfucking syphilis-junkie, do I have to spell it out for you Ranma?" Melinda's patience was wearing thin now. "You have been ignoring me for a goddamn week!"

"I ain't been ignorin' ya!" The pigtailed boy insisted, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Bullshit." She snarled again, blowing an errant strand of hair from her eyes. "You deliberately sit away from me during class when you actually show up, you vanish completely the rest of the day – shit, you barely manage to fucking wave a half-hearted hello in the mornings!"

Melinda crouched down in front of the boy, her eyes locked with his. "I want the truth," She spat, much of her rage draining away despite her best efforts – damn that boy's beautiful eyes! "Why the cuntstabbing cold shoulder?"

She frowned as the boy twisted his gaze away from her; grabbing his chin, she forced him to meet her eyes, a small pit of fear growing in her stomach. "It was the kiss, was it not?" Her voice held a hollow anger. "Are you that freaked out by me kissing your girl form? I would have bet that with your curse, you of all people would be accepting of alt-"

"It ain't that," Ranma interrupted, his speech distorted by the hand on his lower jaw. "You like girls, big deal."

"Girls and guys," She corrected, the corners of her lips twitching into a wry smile as the fear faded back into frustration. "I liked you quite well before I witnessed the change, remember. But we are finally getting somewhere – if it 'ain't that', then what is it?"

"Nothin'," Ranma muttered, pulling himself up into a seated position.

"More bullshit," Melinda countered bluntly, yanking his eyes back to hers as he tried to look away. Sitting down across from him, she propped her chin up in her free hand. "Stall all you want, stubborn boy, we are not leaving this room until you give it up."

"I could escape anytime I wanted, y'know."

"Yeah, probably," She conceded, smiling sweetly. "But you would not run away like that, would you?" Her smiled grew, and Melinda was well aware she resembled the proverbial cat who had just consumed the figurative canary. "Such an action would be rather... cowardly, do you not agree?"

Ranma flinched.

"Come to think of it," She continued, tapping her forefinger against his lower lip. "Your current refusal to tell me why you have been avoiding me... that too could be seen as an act of cowardice."

He flinched again, and Melinda could see protest forming in his grey-blue eyes. "Don't call me that..."

She smirked. "If it acts like a duck..."

"I ain't a duck, and I ain't a coward!" Ranma insisted, his temper visibly rising. He was taking the bait.

"What else would you call a boy," Melinda put deliberate stress on the word, "who refuses to look a girl in the eye and admit something is wrong?"

His knuckles were bone-white as his fingers dug into the carpet. "I ain't no coward!"

The blonde girl went on as if he hadn't spoken. "Big tough fighter-boy, my delectable ass." She snorted. "Able to face down the most fearsome of foes and brave the elements on the road for over a decade," She flashed him a cruel smirk, "But watch as he cowers before the innocent questions of a seventeen-year old girl." Melinda shook her head. "Pitiful, pathetic and above all... cowardly."

"STOP CALLIN' ME THAT!" Ranma shouted; Melinda forced herself to hold back a flinch at his intensity. "I AIN'T A FREAKIN' COWARD!"

"THEN PROVE IT, YOU WUSS!" She responded in kind, pulling his face within inches of her own. "What is the supreme mal-fucking-function?"

"Ya weren't s'posed t'know!" Ranma snapped, jerking his face out of her hand. Melinda blinked, falling forward slightly from the force of his pull. "Ya weren't s'posed to know, and I didn't want ya t'know."

"Well, tough," She said, quickly composing herself. "I know, so you are just going to have to deal with it."

"It ain't that easy."

"Sure it is," She rolled her eyes. "You must have dealt with it before. I know I cannot be the first person to see your curse, unless you have been hiding it from all these people you live with."

"You're the first t'react by shovin' your tongue down my throat."

"You mean your housemates never made the attempt?" Melinda snickered for a moment before fixing him with a flat stare. "So it does have something to do with the kiss."

"It ain't about the kiss," He insisted, meeting her glare with his on. "I... I wasn't expectin' ya to just accept the curse so easy like that."

"What should I have done?" The blonde rolled her eyes again. "Screamed in your face and called the cops? Shouted that I never wanted to see you again? Called you a freak and hit you with something?"

"Woulda been more in line with what I'm used to..."

"I could still hit you with something, if it would make you happy." Melinda stared at the boy for a few moments, then lifted an eyebrow as he said nothing more. "You cannot be fucking serious. That is what this whole bitchplunging shitburger is about? Because I just 'accepted it'? Because I did not react the way you are used to?"

"Nobody 'just accepts it'," Ranma muttered. "They get pissed, hit me, call me a freak, splash me for days on end like I'm some kinda toy... nobody just comes out with 'Hey, you turn into a girl? Cool! By the way, may I check for loose fillings with my tongue?'"

"You dumb shit," Melinda growled, grabbing her braid and twisting it; better her hair than the boy's neck. "You really think it was that leg-humping easy? Finding out magic is real and can make a hunky guy into a tasty babe with just a splash of goddamn water?"

"Tasty?"

"It was not fucking easy!" She snapped, ignoring his dumbfounded expression. "Cockmuching bunghole bandit-wanker, I nearly fainted when I saw it happen! I was ready to scream the entire time you were explaining it, and for the last week have contemplated splashing everyone I know to see if THEY are hiding anything! You seriously believe it was that easy for me to just accept that everything I know is wrong?" She growled, breathing heavily as she felt a week of built-up anger and frustration bubble over. "Further-fucking-more, you think ditching me for a week was the best fucking plan, you spooge-sucking nostril-twat?"

"Uh-"

"Badly-drawn spastic ass-clowns on parade, OF COURSE IT FUCKING WAS NOT!" The blonde rose to her feet, her eyes covered by her bangs as she stared away from the boy. Her hand shook angrily at her side, and suddenly without realizing it she found it rising into the air above her head. Melinda managed to catch herself as she saw the pigtailed boy's eyes reflexively snap shut, and everything she knew about Akane Tendo flashed through her mind. It would be oh so easy to follow through, and oh so tempting – hell, she was pretty sure she was justified...

"Fuck this," Melinda stated, throwing open the door. Despite everything, she had no desire at all to hit him – violence wouldn't get her point across, and she had no intention of burning any bridges here. She shook her head, suddenly feeling the need to get away for a while. "It should be shit-fucking simple to see why I did not react the way you thought, but fuck me sideways if I am going to stand here and listen to the words of a liar and a coward. Get a spine, stop dodging your problems and figure it out for yourself."

Glancing back at the stunned boy, Melinda flipped her braid over her shoulder and met his eyes with a half-lidded gaze. "Come find me when you are ready to quit being such a pussy. I will be waiting."

* * *

"I've never seen anything like this before," Arcade said, his eyes locked on the internal circuitry of the oddly-shaped helmet connected to the large terminal in the center of the room. Risty couldn't see what he was doing, but his fingers were flying across the keyboard of his handheld. "Beyond cutting edge technology. I think I can reconfigure the headgear, though, to accept me as the primary user and- done!"

"You're in?" She tried to keep herself calm. So close...

"We have access!" The boy said, slipping the helmet on and sitting down at the chair. The screen flashed on, a large green and silver X symbol with a glowing red circle in the center staring back at him, framed by a box with the words 'Retinal Scan'. The boy blinked as a red beam of light shot out quickly into his eye, and a few moments later the word 'Accepted'' flashed across the screen.

The larger circle surrounding the scanner began spinning like a combination lock, and the X slowly split in two and slid off the screen. Risty's breath caught in her throat as she saw what lay behind it.

"Welcome to Cerebro?" Arcade read out loud. "Funny name for an OS. Least it ain't Vista..."

"Say," The purple-haired girl said slowly, forcing a tone of nonchalance she was not in anyway feeling. "You don't suppose they have any games on here, do you?"

"I hope so," The boy said excitedly as his fingers tapped away at the keyboard. "Having a system this advanced and using it for spreadsheets and PowerPoint would be most heinous. Hey, Frogger..."

Screens of varying sorts flew by as the boy searched for digital entertainment, Risty's own feelings of anticipation threatening to spill out of her. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw a picture of a brown-haired boy in a dark blue and yellow uniform float past, a green box containing statistics and other nuggets of information next to it. It was soon replaced by another picture, and then another.

"Who do you think those people are?"

"Game characters?" Arcade guessed with a shrug; he didn't seem at all impressed by them.

"Coool," She exclaimed, giving his shoulder a light squeeze. "I could sure use those for my computer class assignment!" She bit her lip and pressed her cheek gently against his. "I don't suppose you could make me a copy of that file, could you?"

"Sure, why not," Arcade shrugged, seemingly unaffected by the close-contact. Risty frowned inwardly; it may serve her purposes at the moment, but it was hardly manly to pay so much attention to a computer when a pretty girl was nearby. "I'll burn you a DVD."

A dark red X appeared on the screen, a circle slowly forming around it as the file names scroll along both sides of the screen. Within seconds the circle was complete, and the disc drive slid open, revealing a simple golden DVD.

"Here ya go," Arcade said flippantly, not noticing as Risty practically tore his arm off grabbing the disc. "Now leave me alone. Arcade needs to get his game on!"

"Um, 'kay," Risty said distractedly, staring at the disc with undisguised adoration. The boy's hands were already back on the keyboard, scrolling through every file that looked like it might contain something related to his obsession. "I'll just pop out, make a quick appearance, and be right back."

"Whatever."

Dashing out of the room, Risty hoped that they weren't too hard on the boy when he was caught. Glancing up at the security cameras outside the room, she frowned and decided to make one last stop before she left.

Back at Cerebro, Arcade was almost drooling as he looked over the specs of various machines and vehicles, his mind filled with the possibilities of what they may look like in all of their rendered glory. "Now this looks promising..." He said as a grin threatened to split his face. "Danger Room..."

Opening the application, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as a massive rectangular hologram suddenly sprung up in the large open space above the terminal. "Holy shit..." he said as he stood up, slowly removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. Putting the lenses back on, Arcade fell back into the chair and felt a thrill run down his back. "I have got to get in on the beta for this!"

* * *

"You know, I bet it was Kurt," Jean growled, bumping into Scott as the truck made a sharp left. "Who else could pop in and grab my phone without us noticing?"

"Jean," Scott said, gesturing covertly towards the driver sitting on the other side of her – a middle-aged man with an unshaven neck and a blue and white trucker cap, staring with dull eyes at the road ahead. In the review mirror he could see his convertible being hauled behind them. "I'm sure you just misplaced it."

She didn't appear to notice the gesture, apparently content to cross her arms angrily across her chest and continue muttering. "I bet he got Rogue to help him out with it too, lousy little..."

"Why are you blaming Rogue?"

"She's been giving me crap for days now," Jean told him, narrowing her eyes. "Weeks even. Dirty looks and little comments when she thinks no one else can hear."

"Can you blame her?" Scott retorted, giving her a challenging look. "I mean, what you did to Ranma-"

"I know what I did to Ranma!" She snapped back. "I'm sorry about it, and wish I could take it back, but it was done to Ranma, not her!"

"He wasn't the only one affected."

"What do you want from me Scott?" Jean's gaze suddenly dropped and she began to wring her hands. The truck swung a hard right, slamming Scott's shoulder painfully into the window. "I admitted what I did was wrong. I admitted that I made a lot of mistakes, hell, I admitted that I'm an addict – what more do I have to do?"

Scott eyed the driver again, but the man seemed not the least concerned with what they were talking about. Looking back at the redhead, he kept his voice low anyway. "I don't know," He admitted. "But you can start by not snapping at everyone or finding things to get pissy about."

"I'm not pissy," She said defensively, "I'm just, y'know, going through withdr-"

"Woah!" Scott cried out suddenly, grasping about for something to hold on to as the tow truck careened around another corner, coming uncomfortably close to the edge of the cliff and causing the redhead to slam into him. Glancing across Jean to the driver, he chuckled nervously. "Mind, uh, slowing down a bit?"

"Sorry," The driver said flippantly, the entire vehicle jumping as he ran over a large pothole, "Got me a schedule t'keep."

"Uh-huh," He said, eyeing the large drop only inches to his right.

"Springer's on in twenty and we is runnin' late."

* * *

In the main room, the party was heating up as more people arrived. The walls shook as heavy dance music blasted from the speakers. Several pieces of furniture had been overturned, and so many drinks had been spilled on the carpet it had become a guessing game trying to determine what the original colour had been.

A pair of freshmen dancing near the far wall didn't even notice as they bumped into a small pedestal, knocking over the stone bust it held. Rogue winced as the sculpture shattered upon impact with the floor. From the other remnants covering the floor, it wasn't the only piece of art that had fallen victim to reckless youth. Biting her lip, she watched in amazement as the younger students were swept up in the merriment – even the ever-responsible Amara had apparently been taken in by the festivities.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..." She murmured to herself, unable to hear even her own words over the music. She felt a growing feeling of unease within her, and the sudden blinking of the X on her watch sent the sensation into overdrive. "Definitely not a good idea," Rogue whispered, quickly rushing off down the hall.

* * *

Staring dumbly at the open doorway, Ranma shook his head and pushed himself off the floor with a sigh. "Such an idiot," he admonished himself. He should have realized by now that ignoring the problem never helped – it definitely had a track record of colossal failure in the last two weeks alone. His eyes drifted to the carpet, focusing in on the dark spots where a few tears had fallen, and his face twisted into a grimace. "I gotta apologize to Mel."

Stepping into the hallway, Ranma frowned suddenly as he felt a prickle on the back of his neck. Dodging back, he stared in surprise as Kitty and Evan race past him. Glancing down at his image inducer, he frowned and slapped his forehead as he saw that the small red X in the corner was blinking. That meant something bad...

"There ya are! C'mon!"

He looked up and forced out all thoughts of Melinda, quickly falling into pace beside Rogue. "What's goin' on?"

"Dunno," She said with a shake of her head, her lips compressed into a thin line. "Somethin' is goin' down, though, and it ain't good."

"Hell," Ranma groaned, grabbing Rogue and blasting off down the hall; this was probably something he was gonna get blamed for.

* * *

"Ooo, this is niiice," Arcade cackled as he played around with the various weapons in the game. "Best graphics I've ever seen, killer sound... all it needs is a few enemies."

Spinning around to the side terminal, the bespectacled boy kept one eye on the Danger Room – which didn't really need his attention; the lasers and buzzsaws and robotic tentacles were cool, but kinda lame without any enemies to use them on – and used his free hand to bring up the character files. Quickly scanning through the lamer-looking ones, Arcade grinned as he finally came upon the first promising fighter. "Hmmm..." He said, taking in the character's stats an appearance. "Not bad, but the visor is kinda lame."

Next came up a sinister-looking figure with a shadowy helmet, in a reddish-purple costume. "M. Bison rip-off," Arcade snorted, moving on past the blue-skinned woman, the oddly familiar goth-vampire chick. He briefly lingered on the dark-haired Asian guy with amazing stats, but waved him off – the pigtail was just too sissy.

He jerked backwards as the next character came onto the screen, and his face twisted into a mask of disgust. "Man, they made HER into a game character? That psycho-bitch?!" He shook his head and shuddered. "That's just sick. I like violence, but some things are just in bad taste..."

Scrolling through the next few characters, the red-haired boy suddenly grinned. "Here we go..." He said, clicking 'upload' and rubbing his hands in anticipation. "This one looks promising."

* * *

"Now let's see," Risty muttered to herself, her bright blue-gray eyes flickering over the multiple surveillance files from the past several hours. "Arrival at the mansion... deleted. Elevator deleted. Hallways outside of Cerebro deleted, deleted, deleted. Woah," She blinked, seeing seven separate cameras recording Cerebro itself; Xavier was more paranoid than she thought.

"Deleted, deleted, deleted," She grinned to herself, her free hand reverently stroking the edge of the newly-burned DVD.

"Hacking Cerebro, deleted," She muttered happily, her hand lifting from the keyboard and firing a small blast of dark blue ki at the ceiling. The ball impacted with the small automated defensive drone and exploded, sending scraps of metal and a shower of sparks to the floor behind her. "Stealing files, deleted..."

Making one last scan of the terminal before her, Risty nodded in satisfaction at finding her visit to the mansion had, effectively, never happened. Lifting her hand again, she fired off another_ Karasu Panpan_, sending another security camera to the great junkyard in the sky. Slipping the disc into her pants pocket, Risty giggled and skipped out of the room.

* * *

"Ah, crap." Ranma said bluntly, glancing up at the blinking red lights that accompanied the high-pitched buzzing of the alarm. "This does not look good."

"That's cause it ain't good," Rogue said, gesturing with a thumb to the large door that led into the X-Men's primary training facility. With her and Ranma were Kitty, Evan and Kurt, all five in uniform. "Someone managed t'activate the Danger Room. Ah can't even get th'door open!"

"No problem," Nightcrawler grinned. "I can just pop in and shut it down from the inside!"

Before any of his friend's could say anything else, the blue-furred boy vanished from sight.

Reappearing inside the Danger Room, Nightcrawler let out a yelp as he barely managed to dodge a laser beam. Sparing a moment to gape at the spot he'd been in seconds before – now a small, smoking crater – he dodged again as a small iron ball shot out from the wall, nearly striking him in the back. More projectiles followed, not allowing the fuzzy mutant a moment to think as he slipped into his training, dodging and teleporting around the room as he tried desperately to avoid injury.

"VHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" He cried out to anyone that may be listening. His eyes darted up to the control center at the top of the room. With a moment's thought he appeared at the ceiling, adhering himself to the wall and peeking inside. The lights were on, and various systems were activated, showing the room itself and the functions currently active, but no one was inside operating them.

Falling to the floor as a pendulum swung from the ceiling, Kurt grunted as a wall suddenly slid out of the floor and caught him in the stomach.

Clutching at his abdomen, Nightcrawler slid off the wall and down to the floor. Leaning against the hard surface behind him, his head lowered as he caught his breath, taking advantage of what seemed like a temporary lull in the action. He felt a chill suddenly run up his spine as a large black boot entered his field of vision. Lifting his head slowly, Nightcrawler gasped in fear as he took in the menacing figure before him.

A muscular arm covered in loose brown armour shot out before he could react, black nails digging into his neck and lifting the blue-furred boy several feet off the ground.

* * *

"Finally!" Arcade exclaimed, "Some enemies!"

The boy blinked as an alert suddenly popped up on one of the side-screens. "Difficulty level?" He wondered aloud. Why was it asking him this now – usually it had to be set before a game even started.

Shrugging his shoulders, he grinned as he saw the last option on the list. "Here we go," He smirked, selecting 'Safeties Off' and hitting enter. "Blood mode, sweet!"

* * *

"What's takin' him so long?" Ranma asked impatiently, leaning against the wall. "I got a bad feelin' 'bout what's goin' on in there..."

Biting her lip, Shadowcat quickly poked her head through the wall, then just as quickly yanked it back out, her eyes frantic. "Sabretooth is in there!" She cried out, grabbing Spyke and Rogue and pulling them through the door with her. "He's got Kurt!"

"Hey!" Ranma shouted, managing to grab onto Rogue's hand just before the three vanished through the door.

Appearing on the other side slightly dazed – he wasn't near as used to passing through solid matter as some of his team mates were - the pigtailed boy quickly located Logan's enemy. The savage mutant was standing in the center of the room, laughing with cruel satisfaction as he held Nightcrawler several feet off the ground.

Ranma's vision went red, and he leapt into action without a moment's hesitation, hurling himself at Sabretooth and delivering a brutal haymaker to the back of his head. His foe growled, dropping the German mutant to the ground and spinning around, slashing at the pigtailed boy with his claws.

Ranma frowned as he easily dodged the attacks; he'd only fought Sabretooth once before, but he could tell already that there was something off about the way his opponent was fighting. He seemed to be moving a lot slower than Ranma knew he could, and there was a strange lull before he attacked – no more than a nanosecond, but enough for him to realize that Sabretooth was fighting with means other than brute force and pure animal instinct.

There was also the fact that he had no ki. That was really weird.

A spin kick sent 'Sabretooth' to the other side of the room - conveniently crashing through three automated laser cannons along the way – and Ranma took the moment to drop to the ground, helping his half brother to his feet.

"You okay bro?" There were five small cuts in his neck, but none of them appeared to be serious.

"I am okay," Nightcrawler managed to cough out, lifting a hand to rub at his sore neck. "I vas not expecting to see him here!"

"That ain't Sabletoot," Ranma shook his head, watching as Spyke pinned the foe to the wall with a multitude of bone spikes. "He ain't actin' like Ugly, and he ain't got no ki."

"What is he then?" Shadowcat shouted, phasing through a wall that sprang up in her path and causing a buzzsaw to destroy itself as it tried to follow her.

"Gotta be a hologram mapped onto one of th'bots!" Rogue answered for him, swerving through the laser blasts of a cannon. Ducking behind it, she grabbed it, grunting as she forced it to fire on a set of wall-mounted flamethrowers. "Why the hell are we talkin'? Shut the room down already!"

"COMPUTER, END PROGRAMS!" Ranma shouted, shoving his brother out of harms way and tearing through a gauntlet of spikes shooting up from the floor. "INSTRUCTOR OVERRIDE, CONFIRMATION CODE 'OKAASAN'!"

"_ACCESS DENIED._" The computer replied in a flat monotone.

"Shit!" Ranma cursed, using a mechanical arm as a springboard to propel himself into 'Sabretooth', who had managed to pull himself free of the wall. Delivering a spin-kick to his chest, Ranma tried again. "INITIATE SYSTEM SHUTDOWN! OVERRIDE CODE ALPHA ZERO-ONE-ZERO!"

"_OVERRIDE CONFIRMATION REQUIRED."_

Ranma grunted as Sabretooth suddenly burst forward, nearly nailing him across the chest with a vicious swipe of his claws. "ROAST PANDA KEBABS!"

"_OVERRIDE DENIED."_

"It's not working, man!" Spyke shouted, blocking a swinging blade with some hastily-grown bone armour. Growing a razor-sharp bone out of his wrist, he quickly severed the blade from the mechanical arm holding it. "Someone's blocking us!"

"Ain't possible!" He growled, hitting 'Sabretooth' with an uppercut, then following him into the air and assaulting the hologram with a series of lighting-fast punches. "I got Instructor-level access!" 'Sabretooth' was sent back to the ground with an axe kick to the shoulder. "Only a whaddayacallit, Administrator can block that!"

"Whoever is doin' this musta given themselves higher clearance!" Rogue leapt at the hologram as soon as it hit the ground, delivering a knee to the back of his head. She cried out as 'Sabretooth' growled and grabbed her leg, throwing her up into the air. Gaining control of her trajectory, she flipped forward and landed shakily on the top of a cannon, taking the opportunity to yank out several key wires. "Dammit, how many of these stupid things are there?"

* * *

"Oh man, this game has seriously picked up!" Arcade grinned from ear-to-ear, his fingers a blur on the keyboards as he continued the assault on the newly-arrived characters. The pigtailed one was strong, and for a moment the gamer wondered if he should have picked him instead of the cooler-looking Sabretooth. The little punk even seemed to have the power to attempt to shut down the game, which the red-haired boy had to admit was pretty badass. Quickly he brought up the pigtailed character's profile, attempting to prepare himself for what else the AI might throw at him.

Gritting his teeth, he shook his head and sent in another half-dozen spinning blades, absently noting that he would run out of that resource soon. No matter – he had much more to choose from. That giant spiked ball looked pretty wicked.

The pigtailed character had a very advanced AI, but he was Arcade, and he had yet to meet a game he couldn't conquer. No matter what character he chose, he did not lose.

* * *

Spyke grunted as a backhand threw him against the wall; ignoring the pain – cushioned somewhat by the armour grown out of his back – he slid to the ground and fired a barrage of spikes. The projectiles struck 'Sabretooth' in the abdomen, but did little to the solid-light construct. "Man!" He shouted, rolling out of the way of a flamethrower before disabling it with a fast hook kick. "Sabretooth isn't this tough!"

"He's bein' controlled!" Ranma shouted back, firing a pin-point ki blast at a wall-mounted energy crossbow. Weaving through a flurry of dark green energy blasts, he charged 'Sabretooth' and pushed him back into the center of the room with a spin kick. "Whoevers doin' this is givin' Ugly's strength and speed some actual intelligence an' strategy t'back it up!"

The entire room suddenly shifted, the central platform Ranma and 'Sabretooth' were on rising several meters into the air. Along the wall dozens of mounted arms sprang out of panels and immediately began firing bolts of crackling blue electricity.

"Woah, heavy duty stuff is comin' out now," Rogue dove out of the path of a gigantic falling ball of spikes, landing in a crouch and immediately flipping into the air, a laser sizzling the spot she'd been standing. "This ain't workin', guys!"

"The Danger Room has too many – ugh – functions!" Shadowcat answered, sliding under a large drone and then phasing up through the floor behind it. Phasing a hand through the machine, it suddenly slumped forward, it's electrical systems disrupted by the act. "We have to get to whomever is doing this and make them stop!"

Kicking a cannon of it's mount and into 'Sabretooth', Ranma followed behind the makeshift projectile with a flying kick. "Then go do that!" He shouted, bending to avoid his opponent's claws and catching it in the chin with his heel. "Whoever's controllin' Ugly seems to wanna take me down first! I'll keep 'im occupied, you guys go figure out what the hell is goin' on!"

A large steel wall suddenly shot up from the edge of the platform, followed in rapid succession by three more. Locks clicked into place around the edges, effectively sealing the pigtailed boy and his artificial opponent from the other X-Men.

"Ah think he might be right about that," Rogue said slowly. Giving the recently-formed room a look of concern, she jumped away from a spinning blade, landing next to Shadowcat. "C'mon, we're gettin' outta here!"

"Vhat about Ranma?" Nightcrawler asked, appearing next to them, wielding a broken robotic arm like a club and smashing a sawblade that spun too close.

"Ranma can take care of himself," She said, glancing over again at the steel chamber in the center of the room. "He's givin' us the time t'get out and stop this before it gets any worse."

"How could it get any worse?" Spyke shouted from across the room, ducking under a squirming steel tentacle and smashing a pair of machines with a large spiked staff.

A red light suddenly filled the room, and several dozen panels in the wall opened, revealing so many heavily-armoured quadropedal robotic drones. The mechanical constructs immediately began firing on the group.

"You had to ask!" Nightcrawler whined, popping over to the other boy and grabbing him. Shadowcat pulled Rogue through the wall as their companions teleported out of the room.

* * *

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Arcade frowned, watching as four of his opponents vanished from the screen. A quick glance at another monitor showed that Sabretooth was still battling with the pigtailed boss – had to be a boss; regular enemies weren't that strong – and that he was alone.

"_SYSTEM HAS BEEN COMPROMISED."_ His eyes darted up the holographic display above him. Instead of the game, the screen now flashed red, reading 'DEFCON-4' in large blinking letters. _"INITIATING DEFCON-4."_

"Defcon-4?" Arcade blinked, a large smile suddenly splitting his face. "I like the sound of that!"

* * *

"Thanks again," Scott told the tow truck driver as the man dropped them off outside the mansion. "And sorry about my friend's attitude. She's, uh, been through some stuff lately..."

"Whatever," The man said, taking a moment to spit out the window.

"You didn't seem too shocked by what you heard..."

"This line o'work, ya tend t'hear a lot of stuff from angry couples." The man shrugged, starting up the truck. "Ain't nothin' I ain't heard before. She's an addict, yer a wuss, and one of ya owes me two hunnert bucks."

"Uh, right..." Scott sighed as the driver peeled away from the mansion, leaving him coughing in a cloud of exhaust. "Jerk."

"Scott!" Jan shouted, causing the boy to turn around. His eyes widened behind his shades as he saw dozens of cars parked in front of the mansion, and through the windows he could see the silhouettes

"What the..." His jaw dropped. "They threw a party!"

"Oh they are busted," She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Looks like certain housemates of ours plotted to get rid of us! They knew you'd never allow this party, and despite my not being in charge, probably thought I would try and stop them too."

"Yeah," Scott said, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess you were right. Sorry about accusing you of... y'know."

"Yeah, me too," Her arms tightened around her chest. "I just-"

A sudden clanging sound coming from the mansion cut her off. Both mutants eyes went wide as they watched heavy steel shutters slam into place along every window and door of the Institute, blocking off any possible exit or entry into the building within seconds.

"Oh crap," Scott muttered, holding out and arm and pushing Jean back slightly. The eyes of the statue in the middle of the courtyard fountain began blinking red. Slowly it rose, revealing a large and unpleasant-looking weapon hidden beneath. Around the fountain, several more pieces of automated weaponry began popping up from hidden panels under the lawn. "This looks bad."

Jean leapt up in the air when the statue-cannon began glowing a hellish red, and Scott dove out of the way as a bright red pulse of light. Rolling along the ground, he came back up in a crouch, whipping off his shades and firing back with a beam of concussive force back at the statue, scoring a direct hit on the machine and putting it out of commission – he hoped.

Spinning around, he fired off another blast at a small cannon hidden in the tree above him, while Jean tore several of the ground cannons from their mounts with waves of telekinetic force. Tossing his sunglasses aside, Scott whipped out his spare visor and slipped it over his eyes.

"C'mon!" He said as Jean landed beside him. "We can get in through the launch bay."

"That's on the other side of the mansion!" Jean exclaimed, raising a telekinetic shield against a barrage of crackling blue energy. "Who knows what's between us and it?"

"It's the only way in." He said simply.

* * *

Ducking under a crackling red blast of energy, Risty jumped up and destroyed the weapon with a spin kick. Landing in a run, she sped though an open doorway, spinning around as soon as she was through. "Karasu Panpan!" She cried out, a softball-sized ball of blue ki rocketing from her outstretched palms and decapitating a large spider-like robot that had been pursuing her.

Leaning against the wall to catch her breath, her mind raced as she tried to figure a way out of the mansion. The elevator had been deactivated when she'd found it, and every door she'd come across after had led to a dead end or been sealed completely.

_click-WHIRRR!_

Her head snapped up again, and Risty bit back a curse as she saw the robot wasn't quite as destroyed as previously thought. Pulling back her hands, she struggled to summon the strength for another ki attack, hoping she hadn't drained her reserves too much in the flight here.

_Crunch!_ The robot was smashed as a the doorway slid shut. She blinked and let out a strained laugh, sliding down the wall to the floor. "That was lucky," She muttered to herself, her words echoing against the high walls of the large room. Looking around, her shoulders slumped upon seeing no other exits."Maybe I spoke too soon..."

A pair of large bipedal robots descending from the ceiling, and out of the walls popped multiple nasty-looking machines. "Definitely spoke too soon."

* * *

"A-ha!" Arcade grinned, pumping a fist as he stared at the lower corner of the holographic display. After searching through the numerous screens of the game, he'd finally found the characters that had managed to escape. "Trying to get away? Arcade proving too much for you?"

Linking a series of commands for his Sabretooth, he diverted his attention to the corridor the other four characters were running through. A small line of drool dangled from his mouth as he looked over the assortment of nasty surprises he had access to on this level. "Man, Defcon-4 really kicked this game up a notch!"

* * *

Amara didn't know what this song was, and at the moment, she didn't care. Her body was swept up by the beat, completely driving away any apprehensions she'd had against this party.

A small part of her mind still realized they would get in trouble if they were caught, but the rest of her simply couldn't find it in herself to care. Swaying through the ground, she grinned as she saw Sam sitting on the couch next to Bobby, both holding sodas – the latter still a little damp from his earlier trip into the punchbowl. Flashing the blonde boy a smile, she grabbed his hand and pulled him off the couch, his soda landing on the floor. "C'mon!"

She heard Bobby laughing at him as she pulled the boy away, then heard him cry out as Jubilee snagged him. Ignoring the two, she stopped by the window and smiled again as Sam slowly got accustomed to the beat – she had to hold back a giggle, however, at his slight degree of awkwardness.

Catching something out of the corner of her eye, Amara suddenly went still, barely noticing as Sam crashed into her. "Hey, what's the deal?"

"The window," She whispered, her eyes darting around to see if anyone else had noticed. Pulling him with her, she reached out a hand and jerked it back as she felt the cold metal shutter. "Something is up. Go tell the others, we have to keep anyone else from seeing this."

* * *

Twisting in midair, Ranma landed with his feet against one of the walls, shooting forward and catching his computer-generated foe in the chest with his shoulder. A heel-kick to the side followed the attack, and the pigtailed boy propelled himself away, delivering another shot to the jaw before landing on his feet at the other end of the cage.

'Sabretooth' seemed unphased by the assault, roaring incoherently and charging forward again. The real Sabretooth didn't have much in terms of combat skill, usually preferring to let rage and his mutant abilities get him through a fight. Oh, he had some martial arts training – Ranma had noticed some basic hand-to-hand, karate , taekwondo, and, oddly enough, malla-yuddha – but it was barely negligible compared to his own level of mastery.

Jumping over another swipe, Ranma nailed 'Sabretooth' twice in the side of the head with a butterfly kick. Taking the blows, his opponent snagged his leg and slammed him against the wall. Falling to the floor, Ranma grunted as 'Sabretooth' kicked him in the stomach. Whoever was controlling this loser had strategy and insanely good reflexes; added with the enclosed space they were now in, a foe that would normally have been a pushover was taxing him to his limits.

Ranma spat out some blood and rolled out of the way of another flurry of claws. Especially since the Danger Room's safeties had been deactivated.

A sweeping kick sent Ugly to the ground again, and Ranma sprang up with a knee-strike to the stomach before he landed. His back exploded in pain as a set of claws tore through his uniform and flesh, splattering blood on the walls. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Ranma, knocked his opponent to the other end of the cage with a rapid combo. Breathing heavily, he flared his ki and pumped it into his muscles, doubling his speed and strength as he charged forward, pummeling 'Sabretooth' with glowing fists.

* * *

"No way!" Arcade stared at the screen in shock. This guy was definitely a boss, no doubt about it now. "What was that, some kinda limit break?"

Distractedly setting the weaponry he was using on the other characters, Arcade began focusing on the fight. He couldn't wait to see what happened when he took this punk AI down.

* * *

"What I mean is, you really shouldn't – behind you! - have hidden it from us!" Dodging through a gauntlet of crackling energy beams and miniature rockets, Cyclops looked over at Jean. "You ready?"

"Yeah," She nodded, focusing herself as the cliffside rapidly approached, the sounds of the rushing waterfall used to disguise the launch bay doors overwhelmed by the explosions. It had been hell making their way to the back of the mansion, and the telepathic girl was beginning to feel the strain of her powers. Along with the strain, unfortunately, came the need.

"I wasn't thinking clearly," She replied quietly, quickly shaking off the thought as they reached the waterfall. Can't be distracted by sweet, forbidden nulls.... "JUMP!"'

Leaping off the cliffside seconds before three rockets exploded where they'd been standing, Cyclops shot apart the debris above them. Grabbing hold of Jean's hand as they fell, he began counting the seconds, ready to blast through the precise moment they were outside the hanger doors. Spreading her telekinesis in a bubble around them, Jean slowed their descent, fervently hoping that no hidden surprises awaited them on the cliffside. Her mind reflexively surged, sending out a scan of the mansion grounds in an effort to locate Ranma.

Cyclops kept his gaze locked on the waterfall, a hand raised to the aperture switch of his visor. "I know that look," he said suddenly, his voice almost drowned out by the sounds of rushing water.

"What?" Jean started as she heard his voice, and slapped herself mentally as she realized what she was doing. "It was an accident..."

"Sure it was." Blasting through the water at the precise moment, Cyclops carved a hole through the thick doors of the launch bay, and Jean floated them through the waterfall and into the room. Landing in a crouch, the visor-clad mutant blew apart a pair of spherical ceiling-mounted drones. "Just stay focused," He said, his eyes darting around, seeking out additional threats. "Don't think about it."

"I don't need you babysitting me," Jean's eye twitched, and she threw a wave of telekinetic force at the wall, crushing an unknown machine crackling with red electricity as it popped out of a hidden panel. "And honestly, I hardly think this is the time and place for this discussion!"

"You're right," He said with a grimace, pausing to blow apart the next set of doors. "I'm sorry, Je-"

"Goddammit, Scott!" She growled, eyeing the large bipedal robot that greeted them on the other side, it's multiple barrels immediately bombarding them. Jean's eyes grew wide, and she hastily threw up a shield to deflect the relentless assault of laserfire. "Just stop apologizing already!"

"What?" Cyclops strafed the mechanical threat, blowing apart one of it's massive legs and sending tumbling sideways. Sensing an opportunity, Jean fired her shield forward, crushing the robot against the wall like a cockroach.

"Stop apologizing!" She repeated, jumping at the wall and removing yet another cannon with a spin-kick, her telekinesis adding power to the blow. "Stop holding back! You're angry with me, so be angry at me! I deserve it!"

"You really want me to?" He shot back, a blast of concussive force ripping through the next set of doors. Jean flew above him as he raced into the next room.

"I'm a big girl," The redhead snapped, forming up another shield around the two. "I can handle the truth."

"Fine then...." Scott's voice slowly faded as they raced through the massive underground network beneath the mansion, the sounds of further combat quickly overwhelming whatever words either one said.

In their haste, and distracted by their argument, neither noticed had the smoking mechanical carcass of another robot next to the wall, piled up with the varied remains of a dozen pieces of automated weaponry.

They had also failed to look up, where they would have seen Risty clinging to the ceiling.

Dropping to the floor after making certain the coast was clear, the British girl sighed in relief. "Thank you, Genma," Checking her pockets quickly, the purple-haired girl shot a rude gesture at the remains of the robot and glanced in the direction Scott and Jean had run off in. Snapping her gaze back to where they had entered, Risty grinned to herself and ran through the newly-created exit.

* * *

Her footsteps echoing down the corridor as she ran, Rogue tried not to worry about Ranma alone in the Danger Room. She also tried desperately not to think about how deadly Sabretooth could be, especially in confined, close-quarters combat. It went without saying that she was ignoring all thoughts about both of those things combined with the high-tech training facilities safety protocols being disabled.

"Vhere are ve going?" Nightcrawler asked from above; the blue furred boy was easily keeping pace, running on all fours along the ceiling.

"Ah don't know," She admitted, her mind racing as she tried to determine from where the mystery attacker could be controlling everything. Several multi-pronged metal rods shot out of the walls ahead of them, and all four skidded to a stop. "Scratch that," Rogue amended, grabbing Shadowcat and racing in the other direction as flames began to shoot out from over two dozen sparking ignitors. "We're goin' th'other way!"

Their escape was blocked form the other end by another rapidly-approaching coil of flame. Being assaulted from both ends of the corridor, Nightcrawler dropped from the ceiling and grabbed onto Spyke, teleporting the pair away as Shadowcat pulled Rogue with her through the wall.

* * *

A feral smirk stretched 'Sabretooth's' ugly mug, and Ranma was almost certain his own face mirrored the expression. He couldn't help it – despite the pain, despite the severity of the situation, despite the danger he and his friends were in, the pigtailed boy was enjoying this fight.

If only the real Sabretooth were capable of pushing him this hard. Ranma could feel his muscles burning, and an eagerness to take it farther. Forcing himself to temper the feeling – he was trying to keep the controller distracted, and beating 'Sabretooth' would work against that idea. Although, with the safeties currently disabled, Ranma wasn't sure if the solid-light berserker even could be defeated through conventional means.

Holograms had no ki, so the Hiryu Shoten Ha was definitely out. And the Amazon technique was the only one Ranma could think of that would destroy the false Sabretooth – well, destroy the thousands of solid-light imagers throughout the room, but it was really the same thing.

Pulling back and firing a small blast of confidence-fueled ki, he launched himself past the attack and to the other side of his foe. Striking him in the back with a pair of open-hand strikes propelled 'Sabretooth' directly into the ki. Pausing for a moment as his foe howled angrily, Ranma considered the attack he'd just used; simple, effective, but had a few bugs that needed to be worked out.

Shaking his head as his vision suddenly blurred, Ranma barely managed to duck under a savage swipe, striking 'Sabretooth' in the stomach with an upward kick. Another swipe of the claws caught him in the back, tearing open his flesh again and turning his back into a macabre checkerboard of blood. "Dammit," Ranma muttered, pressing his open palms against the hologram's abdomen and blasting him with a point-blank _Moko Takabisha._

Flipping back as 'Sabretooth' was flung to the other end of the cage, Ranma hissed at the pain in his back, pushing a fraction of his ki towards healing his wounds. Meeting the next charge head-on, Ranma unleashed a flurry of blows, blocking those he could and taking damage from those he couldn't. His ki surged, and the pigtailed youth paused involuntarily as he felt a strange feeling. A strange feeling that was accompanied by a slash on his arm, tearing the sleeve of his uniform off and coating his biceps with blood.

Shaking both sensations off, Ranma glanced upward at the open ceiling above. "Alright," he muttered, grabbing 'Sabretooth' by the wrist and throwing him over the wall. "I'm sick of this room an' everyone in it!"

Leaping to the top of the wall, Ranma grinned as he saw 'Sabretooth' impaled on a set of large spike sticking up from the floor. The spikes immediately retracted, and the hologram rose to his feet, his wounds already healing – not that they would have had any real effect had they lingered. The hologram couldn't feel pain, after all. Dropping to the ground, Ranma got into a ready position, grinning and gesturing for 'Sabretooth' – and his controller – to bring it on.

* * *

"Oh, you did not!" Arcade screamed, his fingers flying across the keyboards. "That was a dirty trick," he growled, "Just for that..."

The computer geek's grin grew malicious as the high-pressure hose blasted the AI back in a raging torrent of water. His cursor moving to an electrical weapon, Arcade's finger slipped as he saw a new figure emerge from the assault. "Woah," He blinked. "Dude turns into a chick?"

* * *

"...and yeah," Cyclops said, sliding around a corner and stopping at the first door he found. "I guess that about sums it up."

"I see," Jean said, her smile a little shaky; the brown-haired boy felt a twinge of guilt, but resisted it. Her smile grew brighter and more confident, and with a wave of her hand she forced the door open and floated inside, slowly descending to the ground. "Doesn't it feel good to get that off your chest?"

"Actually," The boy mused, blasting the lone autocannon in the room, "Yeah, I do feel a bit better."

Scanning the room for any more potential threats, Cyclops watched as the redhead began typing furiously on a nearby console. He could see 'Access Denied' flash across the screen several times before Jean threw her hands up in frustration.

"It's no use," She declared. "I'm completely locked out. Control of every system in the network has been diverted to one room." She glanced up at him, worry and anger fighting a duel across her features. "Cerebro."

Moving to a larger terminal set against the wall, Cyclops took a chance and bypassed the main computer network and patching directly into the mansion's security system. Cycling through the cameras, he stopped upon reaching one of the many inside Cerebro. "Hey," he said, seeing a small figure standing at the access terminal of the mutant-detection device. "Who's that guy?"

"Hey, I know that guy!" Shadowcat said, phasing through the wall alongside Rogue; at the same moment Nightcrawler and Spyke bamfed into the other side of the room. All four flinched back at the accusatory stares directed back at them. "He, uh, calls himself 'Arcade'. He's a computer game nut!"

"A party guest, I assume?" Jean said accusingly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Spyke rolled his eyes and Rogue snorted, shooting a glare at the redhead, who flinched back at the goth girl's cold gaze. "Please," She waved her off dismissively. "Don't act as if ya have any authority."

"Knock it off," Cyclops ordered, looking back at the screen. Shifting cameras, he got a close-up view of a red-haired boy with glasses, wearing Cerebro's primary access helmet. "So that's the guy... Where's Ranma?"

"Danger Room," Rogue replied, giving Jean another baleful stare before turning her attention back to the current situation. "Fightin' a fake Sabretooth that geek is controllin'."

"You left him alone?"

"He told us to," Spyke insisted.

* * *

With wide eyes, Arcade zoomed in on the redheaded girl that had replaced the dark-haired boy. Aside from hair colour and obvious gender differences, they looked about the same – the lack of a profile for the female solidified the belief that this was the same character, just with a different form. Although what turning female would do for the AI was beyond him.

Brushing away some drool that had formed on the corner of his mouth, Arcade grinned lecherously and zoomed in closer, surprising both himself and the AI when the camera literally hit the girl in the face. "I can attack with the camera?" He muttered, watching the redhead's expression twist from surprise to anger.

* * *

"Alright," Ranma muttered, squeezing the water out of her hair and throwing the spherical machine to the side. "The hell with distractin' ya. No more Mr... uh... Ms. Nice... Girl."

The 'Sabretooth' hologram was standing motionlessly several yards away, apparently awaiting further instruction from it's controller. Based on the actions of the floating camera, Ranma could easily guess what the mystery operator had been distracted by. Pervert.

Cracking her neck, Ranma, following one of the prime tenets of Anything-Goes, took advantage of the momentarily motionless hologram and leapt into action, nailing him with a flying kick to the chest. She had to give the controller credit when 'Sabretooth' immediately snapped back into action, grabbing at her leg in a tight hold; Ranma used the move against him, smashing her heel into the side of his head with enough force to knock him to the ground. Wrenching her leg out of his claws, she hissed at the claw marks that had punctured her shin and delivered a right hook to his face.

Using 'Sabretooth' as a launch pad, the pigtailed redhead vaulted away, a devious smirk coming over her face as she surged her ki. This guy wasn't real; he didn't feel any pain, and essentially existed only as long as the Danger Room could sustain his form.

Surrounded by a bright blue corona, she turned back to her computerized opponent, directing the flow of internal energy in a specific manner. "I ain't had a chance to try this out on anyone yet, Ugly," She grinned, "But I don't gotta pull any punches with ya, do I?"

'Sabretooth' only snarled in response, bursting forward in yet another headlong charge. "That's right," Ranma whispered, dipping into her reserves as she poured more power into her muscles; this technique was going to take a lot of energy. "Run straight inta th'grinder..."

'Sabretooth' was approximately two feet away when Ranma suddenly blurred into motion. She didn't normally shout the names of her attacks, having managed to break herself of the habit, but it felt proper in this case. "Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken Revised: SLAM DANCE!"

Ranma's aura exploded in a blinding flash of blue, and she began tearing through 'Sabretooth' like wet tissue paper. Hundred upon hundreds of kicks, punches, and even a few head-butts pummeled the construct, her entire body moving at Amaguriken-speed, a dance savage to the point of grace nearly invisible to the naked eye.

Seven seconds later, Ranma came to a rest, breathing heavily through a delighted grin; she hadn't been entirely sure that would work. Throwing hundreds of punches with the Chestnut-Fist was easy, kicks being only a little more difficult, but moving her entire body at that speed was something else entirely. She lifted a hand to her head as a wave of dizziness came over her, then jerked it away as she noticed she was holding 'Sabretooth's' severed arm.

"Woah," She said intelligently, tossing the fading limb to the side; all around her the remains of the hologram were fading way, leaving only the pieces of the robot the image had been mapped upon. "Little too much power...need t'work on the coor-coordi-dynamics... kinda dizzy..." She giggled as tiny motes of light flew through her peripheral vision. "This is kinda cool...

* * *

Arcade's mouth dropped open. "Best. Finishing. Move. EVER!"

Another thought occurred to him seconds later, and he slammed his fist against the console, slumping back in his chair. "Dammit!" He growled, "I lost!" He grinned suddenly, staring again at the staggering redhead. "It was so worth it though!"

Scrolling through the other screens of the game, Arcade suddenly realized that he'd let the other characters manage to get away. Where they'd managed to get away to, he wasn't sure, but he desperately hoped they weren't on the next level. His failure to beat the pigtailed boss meant he'd be stuck on this stage of the game for a while.

His head suddenly snapped up, eyes growing wide. "He was DISTRACTING me!" He exclaimed, his jaw dropping at the idea of such an advanced AI. "It all makes sense now, he was distracting me while the other characters did... something else." He leaned in closer to the screen, shifting camera views with computer-geek speed. "C'mon, where are you? What are you planning? All my base are not belong to you if Arcade have anything to say about it!"

"Corridor, empty. Medical Lab, empty. Hanger, empty," Arcade's ire quickly reached it's peak as each successive camera view failed to reveal his errant opponents. "Where are you hiding?" He growled, his fingers flying across the keyboards. "Ah-ha" He cried out, pumping his fist in triumph. "There you... are?"

Blinking, he moved his arm up and down slowly, watching dumbfounded as the small figure on the screen copied his actions. Waving his other arm, the small figure on the screen again followed suit. "Sweet 8-Bit Jesus, I'm in the game!"

Overwhelmed by the utter überness of this mainframe, Arcade barely noticed the two suddenly appearing behind him. "They were after me?" He said slowly, watching the blue-furred character and the pale vampire chick running towards 'him'. "Man... this game is beyond awesome."

Arcade felt a featherlight touch on his neck, followed by three-point-seven seconds of agony beyond which he'd ever experienced, accompanied by a voice unfamiliar in sound but not in phrasing: "An' y'all ain't nothin' but a noob..."

He could hear the smirk in the last word, mere seconds before his world went black. "Pwned."

* * *

"I've found you a new instructor."

"Lemme guess," Pietro said, tearing his eyes away from the special Sci-Fi presentation of _Rampage II: Return of the Killdozer_ to flash her a wry smirk. "That guy who's been campin' in the back yard is gonna be our new 'sensei'."

"As perceptive as ever, Maximoff," Nabiki drawled, her expression betraying nothing. Doubtless the silver-haired boy's father had already been informed of the Lost Boy's presence at the house, and the odds were equally good that Pietro would deliver this new development as well. Something definitely had to be done about the double-agent in their midst, but the cyberpath was uncharacteristically bereft of ideas. "Yes, Ryoga will be taking up your training, and you will be assisting in his if he wishes, for as long as I'm able to keep him here."

"Wait," Freddy said, scratching his head as the rest of the Brotherhood digested the information, "Isn't he that guy?"

"Depends on who 'that guy' is, Freddykins."

"He means that guy that Ranma was fighting at that stupid camp," Lance answered for his larger friend, grabbing a fistful of potato chips out of the bowl in his lap. "And he is, which is makin' me wonder if training under him is such a good idea."

"Now Lance, do you doubt my leadership?" Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Did you think I would find someone utterly incapable as an instructor? Ryoga is a skilled and dedicated martial artist, as well as a mutant. There will be no need to hide anything from him that you would have to with a normal sensei."

"That ain't what I'm worried about."

"Didn't he put Ranma in a coma or sumthin'?" Todd broke in lazily, his attention obviously focused more on Fairchild Voodoo's licentious advances on a bound and gagged Agent Throatpunch.

"It was only four days. More like a long nap."

"Ain't that either," Lance shook his head, meeting Nabiki's gaze as the movie went to a commercial. "So far, we been trained by Mystique, your father, and very briefly by that panda. Won't adding a completely different style mess us up or something?"

"Not to mention my months of training under Ranma," Tabitha interjected from her seat on the stairs; the piglet in her lap suddenly looked at her with an astonished expression.

Nabiki's lips quirked into an almost imperceptible frown; she hadn't considered that. "First of all," She said after a moments consideration, "All three of your previous teachers were masters of Anything-Goes, and by virtue of the nature of the style, integrating Ryoga's training shouldn't be too difficult." At least, that was how she remembered it. She'd stopped training when she'd turned seven or so, but she could still remember the basics of the school. At the very least, she was pretty certain her housemates hadn't been taught anything that Ryoga's style would directly contradict.

"Second of all," Her smirk returned to her face as she regarded Tabitha, who was cooing incoherently to the 'pig' in her arms. "Who said anything about you training with them?"

"What?" The blonde whined, dropping her pet unceremoniously to her lap. "Why not? I wanna learn from the cutie too!"

"I contracted him to train my team," Nabiki said simply, feeling a slight buzzing in her mind as the house's small security network alerted her to someone approaching their door. "You are a boarder, and technically not part of the team. Obviously, you can put two and two together from there."

The doorbell rang at that moment, the opening theme to CSI: Edinburgh set to bells filling the house. Lance grumbled and stood up, blinking in surprise as Nabiki gestured for him to remain seated and strode to her door herself.

"Huh?" She heard Lance mutter to Pietro. "She never answers the door..."

"Must be the bitch."

"She just went to answer the door."

"No, I mean the bitch we don't like."

"You boys are so sweet," She called out over her shoulder, meaning every word of it but loving the uncomfortable way in which they squirmed. It was good to keep them on their toes. Her expression shifted instantly upon opening the door, her cool brown eyes regarding the smirking form of Emma Frost, lit by the small porch light above her head. "Ms. Frost!" She exclaimed with a plastic smile. "What brings you here so late?"

"Oh, I just happened to be in the neighbourhood," Emma said with a casual indifference, the cap she wore on her head casting a shadow over her eyes, "And thought it might be nice to drop in for a moment. I was so upset that our earlier chat had to end prematurely, Ms. Tendo."

"Oh?" Her eyebrow raised, Nabiki once again reached out with her mind, inwardly frowning as her mental scan slid around the other woman's thoughts yet again. She hated the naturally resistant. "This wouldn't have something to do with the mistaken delivery, would it? I have spent the last hour trying to track down the owner, to no avail."

The blonde girl laughed. "Ms. Tendo, I assure you there is no longer any need to worry about that. I have already procured another case of the item within that package, enough to not have to worry about it again for some time." Her smirk grew. "I even thought to obtain an additional supply, on the highly-likely chance little Donnatella is again taken the whim to play at being a skunk."

"Children are so precious, are they not Ms. Frost?"

"I could not agree more, Ms. Tendo," Emma said with a smile that set the mercenary on edge. "Anyway, the reason I'm here is I wished to deliver something to you." She reached into her purse and pulled out a few sheets of paper, stapled together in the upper-left hand corner.

Lifting the paper to her eyes, Nabiki skimmed it quickly, easily recognizing it as a homework assignment and answer sheet from Hank McCoy's Chemistry class. One she had sold to Melinda Frost for the inflated price of forty-five dollars. "I'm afraid I do not have Mr. McCoy as a teacher," She said calmly. "Nor am I taking a Chemistry class this semester."

"I would be surprised if you were," Emma said, crossing her arms casually over her simple white shirt. "An intelligent young woman like yourself, in a sophomore-level class. No, I just wished to return that to you. It would be a simply terrible shame if it fell into the hands of someone less, shall we say, amenable than myself."

"My deepest thanks, Ms. Frost," Nabiki said coolly, neatly folding the papers and slipping them into her pocket. She knew a threat when she heard one. "Is there any way that I might be able to repay you for this kindness? Perhaps I could check the label on the package again – it might be that your current address does match the one it was intended to be shipped to."

"I hardly think that is necessary," Emma replied with a nonchalant wave. "In fact, you might want to keep it for yourself. It is a truly exquisite item, and quite expensive, but I would beg of you not to reveal my little indulgence to others." She smirked again. "A girl has to retain her mystery, after all."

"While I'm certain it is not to my tastes, I thank you for the gift," Nabiki's hand came to rest on the doorframe, and with an exaggerated yawn she took a half-step inside. "I'm afraid I must be off for the night, however. I have a very full day planned tomorrow, and it would be simply terrible if I were not well-rested."

"No need at all to apologize, Ms. Tendo, I understand completely. I should be turning in myself, as a matter of fact." The blonde girl flashed her a smile of concealed triumph as she turned away, and Nabiki's eyes narrowed momentarily. "Enjoy your outing with Mr. Summers tomorrow. One never knows when they'll next have the opportunity to enjoy the company of a dashing young gentleman."

"Have a pleasant night, Ms. Frost," Nabiki said, her voice dripping with honey as she shut the door behind her. Turning around, her housemates were frozen to the floor by her gaze.

"Did," Todd swallowed, flinching as Nabiki's expressionless stare spun towards him. "Did you just.... lose?"

The middle Tendo said nothing, her gaze slowly drifting from one housemate to the other. Stepping forward after several minutes of silence, they parted easily from her path, and with a yawn she turned and headed up the stairs. "Training starts at six am. Be there, and be sure to ask Ryoga what will happen if you wake me up."

Once out of sight, Nabiki's eyes narrowed to thin slit. Ms. Frost had played the wrong card; threats against herself she could deal with. Threats against her friends she could handle.

But you did not threaten the business.

* * *

"Father, have you seen my shopping basket?"

Shaking his head, Soun inhaled a final drag on his cigarettes and stubbed it out in the ashtray in the center of the table. Staring up at his eldest daughter, his mind went back to the previous night, and he felt tears of pride begin to form in his eyes. Blinking them back, he stood up, folding the paper in his hands and setting it on the table. Walking over to the kitchen, he looked inside, oddly pleased to see the new toaster sitting next to the blender his late wife had made.

Spotting his daughter rummaging through the pantry in search of her missing basket, Soun cleared his throat. "Kasumi?"

"We're almost out of soy sauce, father!" She exclaimed, "I also heard a rumour about half-price live eels at Kuniyoshi-san's stand, but I can't find my bas-"

"Calm down, Kasumi," He chuckled. "Genma is out doing the shopping."

"Uncle Saotome?" The girl stepped out of the pantry and cocked her head to the side in confusion. "But.... oh my, does he know about the eels?"

"Saotome will find everything we need, and then some, at the cheapest possible price," Assuming he didn't steal it; Soun didn't voice that thought aloud. "I asked him to, so I could have some time to speak with you." He gestured towards the door and Kasumi followed him, a curious expression on her face.

Several minutes later, the father and daughter were walking down the street, side-by-side. Soun had yet to say a word. His daughter shot him curious glances every so often, interspersed with polite greetings exchanged with people on the street. He used this time to gather his thoughts, searching for the exact right words to say.

"Father?" She asked finally, twisting the strings of her apron around her fingers. "Does this have anything to do with Reiko-san's offer?"

"It does," He admitted, flashing her a kind smile. "Have you made a decision yet?"

"I still don't know," Kasumi said softly, looking away. "It came so sudden, I honestly can't believe they're serious. I'm only a student..."

"They appeared quite sincere to me," He said, pausing for a moment. "I didn't understand most of what they said, partly due to the language barrier and partly because of the topic itself, but they seem genuinely impressed by you."

"Still," His eldest daughter said, biting at her lower lip. "I shouldn't accept. The family-"

"Kasumi," He interrupted, surprising even himself. "Tell me, do YOU want to take the job?"

"I can't-"

"I'm not asking about what the family wants," Soun shook his head, feeling another surge of prideful tears at the girl's dedication. Now was not the time, however. "I'm asking what YOU want. You have spent so many years caring for this family, giving up what dreams you may have held. I was lost in my grief for so long, I didn't even notice it until recently."

"Father," Kasumi said softly. Soun held up a hand, shaking his head in a silent request that she let him continue.

"You have a gift, Kasumi-chan," He told her. "One that had I not been consumed in my own sadness might have been discovered and properly nurtured. I failed as a father in that regard, but I will not this time. Answer me honestly - do you want to take this opportunity?"

"Yes," Kasumi said softly, her head moving in an almost imperceptible nod. "I do."

Soun smiled; he had seen it in her eyes the previous night, when Doctor Watanabe and Doctor Ryan had laid out the details of the offer. In addition to a very nice salary and a place to stay (Ms. Watanabe had a condo in Boston she was willing to share), Kasumi would have access to equipment, information, and technology out of reach for the normal population. Her eagerness couldn't be hidden, and Soun was almost certain a good amount of it came from the idea of the project itself. Perfecting a machine like this could do wonders for medicine, and would no doubt help save lives.

A machine like this might have saved her mother's life, had it been around at the time.

Stopping, Soun glanced up, then turned to his daughter. "Then I urge you to accept it," He said, his voice threatening to crack; he would miss her presence around the house, but it filled him with no small amount of pride that his eldest was being offered this chance. "You have sacrificed more than your fair share for this family. Don't worry, we can take care of ourselves from here."

The Tendo patriarch stumbled back as Kasumi suddenly tackled him in a bone-crushing hug. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with her smile as she mumbled enthusiastic thank-yous against his shoulder, and Soun felt several tears squeeze out from his own eyes.

Several minutes passed before Kasumi suddenly pulled away from him, wiping the tears from her face. "I have so much to do," She murmured to herself, and Soun could see her eyes glaze over as she began making verbal plans for packing and preparation for moving to the United States. "I have to call Watanabe-san!"

"That can wait," He told her, grasping her wrist gently as she turned to race back home. "First, I have something for you," He smiled and gestured to the large brick building across the street.

"Mick's Independent Service Center?" Kasumi read the large sign that stretched over the doorway. Cocking her head to the side, she shot him a questioning glance. With an anticipatory grin, Soun walked past the entrance and down an alleyway, separating the building from the one next to it. Stopping in front of a simple door marked 'Employee's Only', Soun ignored the sign and pushed it open, the smell of metal and grease immediately assaulting his senses. Stepping inside, he held the door open for Kasumi.

The large room looked like a typical auto repair garage; white walls covered in posters of cars and motorcycles leading up to a very high ceiling, from which several bright florescent lights hung. The floor was solid concrete, and covered with dirty rags, discarded tools and oil stains. A workbench was set up against the far wall, next to a large object covered by a dark blue tarp, above which hung a single, silver wrench affixed to a plaque with a description he was too far away to read – not that he needed to; he knew the inscription by heart.

"That door is fer employee's only." A bored voice drawled, drawing the attention of both father and daughter to the center of the room, where a bright blue Honda with it's hood popped open rested several feet off the ground, supported by a set of hydraulic jacks. A pair of legs stuck out from underneath the car, next to an open drawer filled with tools. "So unless yer name is Aizawa and ya finally got back wit' th'sandwiches, I'm gonna be pissed."

Soun rolled his eyes and walked over to the owner of the voice, giving the leg a friendly kick. "It's me, Watai."

"Tendo?" The voice echoed, sliding out from under the vehicle and revealing a grease-covered man his a few years older than him wearing coveralls. A black bandana was wrapped around his head, under which several strands of dark blonde hair could be seen poking out. "Tendo!" He exclaimed, a wide smile coming over his hard features. Dropping his wrench to the floor, the man jumped to his feet and grabbed Soun's hand with his own, clasping it excitedly. "Damn was I s'prised t'get yer call this mornin'! How long it been, five, six years?"

"Five months."

The man's attention immediately shifted to Kasumi, who stared at him with a spark of familiarity. "Don't tell me," He said, wiping the grease off his hands with a ratty blue rag. "This has ta be Kasumi-chan!"

Kasumi nodded politely, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"Ha!" Watai laughed, slapping Soun on the back and tossing the rag over his shoulder. "I haven't seen ya since you were this high!" He held a hand level with his knee and stared at her expectantly.

"Uncle Michio?" The young woman said hesitantly, recognition suddenly flashing across her face. Laughing, she leapt into his arms, not even noticing the grease stains his fingers left on the back of her dress. "I haven't seen you since..." She trailed off.

Watai's expression turned somber, and he nodded silently. "I know," He said, releasing the girl and smiling faintly. "You look just like her, and already I can tell she woulda been proud of ya.

"So what brings ya here?" He asked, turning back to Soun.

"A gift for my daughter," Soun replied, chuckling nervously; Michio Watai ('Mick' to most) wasn't actually related to the family in any way, but he'd worked here since Kimiko's father had been the owner, and had known his late wife longer than even Soun had. "You do still have what I asked about, right?"

Watai snorted and pushed aside the tool cabinet, leading them over to the large tarp next to the workbench. "Course I do," He said, taking hold of the heavy canvas and pulling it off, revealing a two-tone motorcycle, gleaming navy blue body with pure white trim. "I give her a full check up every coupla weeks. Still purrs like a kitten."

"A Suzuki GSX-R600..." Kasumi's eyes grew wide, taking in the sight of the middleweight sport-bike. "It looks just like mother's..."

"It is yer mom's, kid," Watai grinned, giving the girl an approving nod. "Ya gotta good eye or a good memory. She used t'take ya out on it all th'time before she passed."

"I remember that..." The girl replied absently, her eyes skimming over the sleek machine.

Reaching into his pocket, Soun removed a small object and gently placed it in Kasumi's hand, pulling her attention away from the bike. Looking down, she blinked upon seeing a simple silver key attached to a small wrench-shaped keyring. "Father..."

"It's yours now," Soun smiled again, stepping back and shrugging. "I thought you might be able to use it in America."

"I've never ridden before," Kasumi murmured, slowly walking over and laying a quivering hand on the navy blue fuel tank.

"I can give ya some lesson's before ya leave," Watai offered, and Kasumi nodded silently, still examining the heavily modified sport bike. "Motorcycle licenses are a bit easier t'get over in th'States."

Stepping away and leaving Kasumi to get further acquainted to her late mother's beloved Suzuki, Soun let his eyes drift over to the wrench mounted on the wall not too far away, skimming over the small bronze plate attached below the tool. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Watai stepping next to him.

"She used t'hit me with that damn thing all th'time," The mechanic said softly. "Usually when I screwed up on an important job." He chuckled. "Kasumi-chan seems happy with yer gift."

"I knew she would be," Soun replied, a silent tear running down his cheek. "Like I told you..."

Watai nodded, finishing the other man's statement. "...She's just like her mother."

The two men were silent for a minute before Watai belatedly added, "Except, y'know, without the, uh..."

"Colourful vocabulary?"

"That's an understatement," Watai snorted, smacking Soun on the back again with a hearty laugh. "Did I ever tell ya 'bout the time Kimiko..."

* * *

"Great party! You guys rock!"

Watching the two satisfied guests depart from the mansion grounds in a squeal of rubber against asphalt, Evan plastered on a smile that failed to reach his eyes. "Yeah, thanks, glad you had fun," He said through grit teeth. "I mean, we missed it, but hey at least you had fun..."

"They ate every last scrap of food," Kurt sniffled, staring with dismay at the empty plate in his hands.

"And completely trashed the place," Kitty added with a sigh, glancing back inside. The guests had stayed in the designated party areas for the most part, but those few rooms now looked to have been caught in no less than three natural disasters.

"And guess who gets t'clean it all up?" An enthusiastic voice chimed in behind them; all three teenagers winced, slowly turning around to see Ranma standing in the doorway, his arms filled with an assortment of cleaning supplies. His face was scratched up and heavily bruised, but otherwise the pigtailed boy looked to be no worse for the wear – if one discounted the multiple gouges peeking out from under his black muscle shirt.

"That's right," Ranma said with a grin, tossing a mop at Kurt, who reflexively caught it with his free hand. "You three have been granted this highest of honours. Give yourselves a round of applause."

"Uh," Kitty grinned weakly, catching the bottle of Windex and rag tossed to her. "X-Men are best when they, like, work together, right?"

"I agree," Ranma said, turning back and walking lethargically back into the house, limping slightly on his right leg. "You three are X-Men. Work together. I'll supervise."

A chorus of pitiful groans sounded from the trio as they followed him inside. Ranma shot them a smirk over his shoulder. "It won't be that bad," He said cheerfully, "Think of it as.... trainin'."

They groaned even louder, the sounds of frustration mixing with the apologetic sighs from the red-haired boy sitting on the stairs of the main foyer. Stepping up next to Rogue as his three charges began their task, Ranma leaned against the banister, absently rubbing his shoulder while shooting Arcade an annoyed frown.

"Ugh," The computer geek didn't notice the look, his head held in his hands. "I'm really sorry, guys," He apologized, wincing as his eyes met Scott's. "I just couldn't help myself."

"Mind telling us what you were doing in there in the first place?" Scott asked, staring down suspiciously at the boy.

"Can you blame me?" Arcade said excitedly, a manic grin coming over his face. "Such an awesome mainframe, man. And that game totally rocked!"

Shocked glances were rapidly exchanged among the four X-Men. "Game?" Jean repeated.

"The graphics were the best I've ever seen!" He exclaimed, pausing to brush aside some drool. "And the characters! They had these awesome powers, and that pigtailed boss, oh man!"

"Boss?" Ranma echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Had to be a boss," Arcade insisted. "Too powerful to be a regular enemy. Dunno why he turned into a girl for his finishing move, or why such a strong character had a sissy little pigtail..."

"Sissy?" Ranma bristled.

"Wait, hold on," Rogue broke in, looking at him incredulously. "Ya think it-"

**'He does not know what he truly experienced,'** The doors swung open as the familiar voice sounded in their minds. Xavier rolled into the room, giving each of his students a pointed look. **'He is convinced it was all a computer game.'**

"Mr. Torque," The Professor said aloud. "There is a taxi outside waiting to take you home."

"Hey, thanks," Arcade said, hitching his bag over his shoulder as he stood up, chuckling nervously as he walked out of the mansion. "I passed out from the sheer awesomeness of that game and, uh, can't remember who brought me here..."

"I'm sorry professor," Scott said with a downcast expression as the cab drove out the gates. "I accept the blame for this."

"I think there is plenty of blame to go around," Xavier replied calmly, "Even extending to our mystery guest."

"That guy with the stupid name?" Ranma asked, wincing in pain as he lifted his arm to scratch his head.

"Y'know Arcade was justa nickname, right?"

"I mean his real name," Ranma replied with a snort. "Seriously, who names their kid 'Webber Torque'?"

"No, not Mr. Torque," Xavier said, guiding his chair forward a few feet as Rogue elbowed her boyfriend in the stomach. "Someone else. Someone who had a hand in all of this, even to the point of sabotaging Cain's prison to ensure that I would be away, all in an effort to get inside mansion."

"Do you have any idea who it was?" Jean asked, sharing a quick glance with Scott.

"Unfortunately no," Xavier shook his head, frowning as he considered the numerous possibilities. There were a good many people who would love nothing more than to access the Institute. An even more pressing matter is what they did while here; did they take something, or leave something? "Nor can I determine, as of yet, what their goals might have been."

* * *

Giving the mansion a final glance over her shoulder, Risty smirked to herself and leapt from the top of the gate. Landing on her feet, the purple-haired girl stood up straight, her smile growing wider. "It's been a good day," She whispered to herself.

Reaching into her pocket, she delicately removed the disc burned with the file of every mutant Cerebro had ever discovered. With her other hand she took out the unsealed Umisenken. Musing over the unexpected events of the day, Risty again affirmed to herself that going through with the Arcade plan was the right thing to do; admittedly, she could have waited until she'd mastered the Umi and taken care of it herself, but too much work had been put into getting Xavier out of the Institute. Combined with the incredibly fortunate absences of Storm, Wolverine and the medic... well, how could such an opportunity be ignored?

"Yes," She whispered again slipping the two precious items back into her pockets and quietly walking off into the woods. A slow ripple ran along her body and the British girl gained nearly sixteen inches in height, her clothes shifting into a tight leather crop top and a tight leather miniskirt. Her skin shifted to a deep blue and her hair a flaming red. She grinned, her elongated canines brushing against her lower lip. "It's been a very good day."

"Well, now who have we here?" A raspy, high-pitched voice intruded.

Spinning around, Mystique's yellow eyes grew wide as she spotted the diminutive form perched in a tree above, calmly puffing away at an ornate long-stemmed pipe. "_Karasu panpan_!" She growled, firing off a small ki blast at the - unfortunately - familiar figure.

With a snort the figure brushed aside the attack, letting it dissipate into the air as he tossed it behind him. Dropping from the tree, the gnomish man swatted the shapeshifter over the head with his pipe.

"Insolent girl" He snapped with more affection than actual malice. "Is that anyway to greet your great-grandfather?"

* * *

END CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

* * *

Author's Notes: The rating for the fic has been reduced to 'T', since I have determined that nothing as of yet, except maybe the language and the slightly limish scene several chapters ago really necessitates the previous 'M' rating. This will change, however, in three or four chapters...

Finally managed to get this monster done. Longest chapter yet, coming in at nearly 42,000 words. As much as I love long chapters, I'm going to make a concentrated effort to make the next one not quite so long. This will prove somewhat easier, as Kasumi's storyline will be slowing down for a few chapters. Speaking of Kasumi, I'm willing to admit that half the reason I gave her a motorcycle has to do with my desire to portray her in skin-tight leather. And if you think she won't be able to learn how to ride it absurdly quickly, you have not been paying attention.

There was a reference to a Honousenken attack in this chapter. And no, I'm not going to tell you what the 'Tearing Curtain Scorching Reality Burn' is.

Originally, Arcade was going to pick Juggernaut as a character to play with, but I came to the conclusion that Juggernaut + Danger Room safeties disabled + other Danger Room hazards + no psychic in the fight + a guy controlling everything who thinks it's just a game and therefore has no restraint = overkill. Instead, I went with Sabretooth, who I figured, with everything above (as well as forced close-quarter's combat) would be a pretty decent challenge.

I try to research all science and technology that is talked about in any detail, but the subjects are far from my forte. As such, I might be wrong about some things, and others might be outright made up. If you spot a crucial mistake in regards to any subject, please feel free to correct me, and I'll do what I can to fix it.

Before I forget, Thaliá is now taking requests! Suggest a song you'd like to see my favourite mysterious little mental patient sing, and if it's something she actually likes (Thaliá has very eclectic tastes) it'll become the song she sings in a future chapter. And you may as well suggest something, since Thaliá's gonna sing in every chapter she appears in. It's in her contract. A word of warning: suggest nothing by U2. Thaliá has an unexplainable, unrelenting psychological hatred of Bono.

That's all for now. Thanks as always to my pre-readers. I hope you enjoyed it, and please review!

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